The Eventually on the Big Screen
by gocubsgo17
Summary: The magic of the silver screen has its own way of explaining love and loss. It resonates in our own lives and in the lives of the ones we love.
1. When Harry Met Sally

**A/N: This series had originally started as a one shot series, but it then morphed into a type of fic that will recap B&B's entire relationship while giving (hopefully) a better look at what makes them who they are. It might be a missing scene or a redo of a scene. I made a list of my 50 favorite romance or RomCom movies to serve as inspiration. _Lines from each movie that the chapter is based on will appear in italics._ If I do this right, it should be a pretty fun ride :) I hope you guys will stick with me while I write this and let me know what you think. I'm going to start working on alternating updates between this and **_**Lifeline**_**.**

**The movie, ****When Harry Met Sally****,**** was directed by Rob Reiner and written by Nora Ephron.**

**Chapter 1: When Harry Met Sally**

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* * *

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He picks her up at the Jeffersonian and she climbs into the SUV with a smile. She gives him a once over, looking at the breadth of his shoulders and his strong jaw line again. She and Angela had talked extensively about him and how, the minute the case was over, Angela was going to force Brennan to go after him before a catch like that disappeared. She isn't looking for anything long term, and he looks to be a potentially good lover, so she lets her eyes linger a bit longer than she had before.

At first, the only sound in the car is that of the first few raindrops of the night splattering on the windshield. He steers the car toward a part of town she's unfamiliar with. So she asks where they're going and he tells her he wants to get a drink. It's true that it's to build up his courage, but for what? To fire her? Or is there something else on his mind?

She nods and looks back out the window trying to remember the route he's driving. He glances over to her and takes in her beauty. He doesn't want to fire her, but he wants Caroline's window, so he does what she tells him to. He wonders if she's a mixed drink girl or a beer fan. He can't peg her, so when they arrive at the pool hall and she orders a shot of tequila, he's not exactly surprised. She talks about the case and the Bhang and he's impressed that she could hold her liquor with the best of them.

And he ends it. Their working relationship, that is. She thinks it's because of the Bhang and he just smiles at her frustration, but she seems to be taking it well. He pours more tequila and tells her why. And when that sexy little smirk appears on her face as she leans over, his heart does flip flops in his chest. She says they could have sex. Normally, hook ups like this to him mean crappy sex. But she looks as if crappy sex wasn't in her vocabulary, as if there is no such thing in her world. As he pulls out his phone, he tells her he'll get a cab and she fumbles for her coat. She's running for the door and he can't decide if she's running away from him or if she's just ready for some privacy for the two of them. He stops her on the stoop, the cab driver honking at them impatiently to hurry it up.

She reads his face. Literally. And he's too surprised to be mad at her. He tells her that he gambles and he can't believe he just said that. He mentally slaps his palm to his head for making that comment and he wonders if it'll put a damper on their night. Offhandedly, he tells her why and she asks again. He can barely get the words out of his mouth before she moves closer. His heart does that flip flop thing again and she wonders if she feels it too. It's full of promise of what's to come, but the damn cabbie interrupts again, and she pulls away with a shit eating grin on her face. She darts to the cab and tells him he's not coming home with her and blames it on the liquor. He's disappointed, but wants to know why. The cabbie huffs in annoyance when he tells him to stop again and she rolls down the window when he steps up. She makes the comment that he would never regret sleeping with her and the cab drives off, leaving him standing in the rain, wondering if he just missed a moment.

She turns in the back seat of the cab, watching his figure get smaller as the cab pulls toward the main roads. She waves once and keeps an eye on him until he disappears.

When her cab is gone, he finally realizes he's standing in the street. He peers back up at the flickering neon sign, shoves his hands in his pockets and walks home, pondering what exactly just happened.

* * *

The moment she hears his laugh she cringes internally. She had spent the night thinking of him, wondering where he went after she left him in the street. He, on the other hand, had done the same but also decided not to hold a grudge against her for making an offer she never intended to keep. For some reason, he couldn't understand why she was so pissed at him. She sets down the weird looking skull and glares at him. After she brushes him off, he makes up his mind: He's not taking no for an answer. Chop chop, he yells at her and fury boils in her veins. She's never understood that expression, but she knows it means she needs to get a move on.

She snaps at him, telling him she'll drive her own car because she's not sure if she could handle sitting in the car alone with him for who knows how long. He beats her to the parking garage – one positive of having a siren – and he doesn't make the techs wait to begin taking apart the judge's car. She gets out of her car and stands off to the side, watching with a trained eye.

He decides to finally say something and as he guessed, she's beyond pissed. Maybe they had blue balled each other, maybe the kiss they had shared the night before wasn't meant to be. They start bickering and when a tech delivers the news that the car is clean, it ignites another firestorm and she demands that her people at the Jeffersonian should do their own search. Her snarky comment about the best and the brightest work at the Jeffersonian pisses him off just that much more. The tech holds his palm out, the stapes resting in the center and she tells him it goes to the Jeffersonian. She stalks off to her car without waiting to hear what else he might have to say.

But once the judge is sitting in the back of a squad car, he runs to catch up with her. Her small car moves quickly toward the exit and he steps in front of her car. She lays on the brakes, yelling at him to get out of the way because she has work to do. He walks to the driver's side window, putting on the charm smile that had worked her over the first time.

"Bones, come on, can't we be friends? This angry bit we've got going on isn't working."

She looks skeptical and says, "You want to be friends?"

"Well, no."

"No? Which is it?"

"I want to be…amicable when we work together. We can't be friends," he says, remembering something he and his college buddies used to say.

"Why not?" She's impatient to leave, but she is genuinely interested as to what his reason is.

"_What I'm saying is, and this is not a come on in any way, shape or form, is that men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way. Because no man can be friends with a woman he finds attractive. The sex thing is already out there so the friendship is ultimately doomed and that is the end of the story."_

"_Well, I guess we're not going to be friends, then."_

"_I guess not."_

She nods once and he steps away from her car. She drives off and he's left to wonder if that was the right thing to say. Or if he'll ever get a second chance.


	2. Sleepless in Seattle

**A/N: The movie, ****Sleepless in Seattle**_**, **_**was written and directed by Nora Ephron. This is shorter than I'd like it to be, but I didn't want to push it. And I like the way it turned out.**

**Chapter 2 – Sleepless in Seattle**

* * *

She's frustrated. First, she's attacked by Homeland Security. And now? Now, she's realizing she was picked up because _he_ wanted to pick her up from the airport. Not only has it ruined her time with Angela, but now she's forced to sit with him in the car. She rolls her eyes at his complaints about Zach and becomes snarky when he tells her there's a body in the cemetery.

He came to the decision a while ago that he wouldn't take no for an answer, not only because this case is going to be impossible to solve without her, but because he doesn't like working alone anymore. He's tried other partners, other squints, but none that are anywhere near her. But she's adamant about getting out of the car. So he pulls over and she starts walking down the block without waiting for him. He follows. He wants to work with her, needs to work with her. He's been doing his best to step away from the pool table for awhile, hoping it would earn him some brownie points with her. But now she wants field work? No, he thinks. Squints don't go out in the field.

But now it's her that won't take no for an answer. So he tells her they're Scully and Mulder and she gets what she wants.

When they arrive at the crime scene, he makes the comment about pornography and that old sexual tension neither of them had felt in a while bubbles back up again.

It lasts the entire case. She's at the gun range and he gets in her face, talking about cops and case solving. He puts his hand on the partition behind her and her eyes widen just a bit as she realize how close they are. She can smell him, feel the heat radiating from his body. So she fights back, wearing him down like he's one of her stubborn grad students or colleagues. He glances down at her lips and she catches him. It makes her bolder, knowing he wants her just as bad as she wants him. She makes a clean break for it, but she barely held it together, all of that tension and attraction coming to the surface and making her weak at the knees just at the thought of how close his lips were to hers. She leaves before she makes a bad choice and finds herself in the same predicament as the last time she worked with him. She sits in her car and does some deep breathing exercises but her thoughts keep drifting back to him.

* * *

When the Eller case is solved and Cleo's murderer is brought to justice, he mentions he's going to go to her funeral. She asks if she can come, and then the rest of her squints pop up behind her and want to go too. It can't hurt, he supposes, so he gives his permission. But it doesn't matter, he realizes, they would've gone anyway.

After the funeral, he takes her to a new bar, different from the last one they visited together. It is cleaner, newer and in a better part of town. They sit at the bar together and order drinks. He goes for bourbon, she decides on wine. They sit in silence for a minute before he says, "Thanks."

"For what?" she wants to know.

He shrugs. "You know, for…helping."

"With your cosmic balance sheet?"

"Yes," he says with a nod.

"Well…I don't mind. You're insufferable, but it's a good thing. Not you being insufferable. What is mean is it's a good thing what we're doing, putting murders in jail."

"We make the world safer, one arrest at a time, Bones. It's like we were meant to be. Destiny, you know? Destined to work together."

She rolls her eyes at the nickname and says, "There's no such thing as destiny! _Destiny is something we've invented because we can't stand the fact that everything that happens is accidental."_

He shakes his head as he picks up his glass to take another drink. "In things like this, there are no accidents, Bones. It all happens for a reason."

"I believe you're making it up."

He smiles at her. "Nah. What I have is faith. And one thing I have faith in is us. You and me. We're good together…in professional standards," he stumbles.

She raises her glass and taps his glass with hers. "Yes. We are," she tells him, giving him a smile of her own and renewing his hope in them.


	3. Serendipity

**A/N: The movie, Serendipity, was directed by Peter Chelsom and written by Marc Klein**

* * *

She can't breathe and the radio station is playing a slow, sad song. The reception is fuzzy. Her neck aches and she can feel the burns on her skin. She looks around and tries to ascertain where she is. It's dark out and she can't see out the window. So she tries to force the door open. It won't budge. She rolls down the window to see if she can get a good look. She gasps sharply when soil begins to pile into her lap. She frantically rolls up the window and turns off the radio. That's when she hears Jack in the back seat. He's in pain. She assesses his condition and determines he'll live. That's when she realizes who did this to them. They're buried alive. Her breathing quickens and she struggles to get it under control. Jack lets out another cry of pain and she snaps back to reality. She takes inventory of what they have and Jack writhes in pain in the back seat. She now knows that her situation is the same as it was with the Kent boys. Instead of twenty four hours, they now have less than ten hours.

She thinks of the ransom. She has money. Her book has done well but she wonders if he can get the money in time. He'll have to go through channels and she's not sure if her accountant will even let him have access to her accounts. She wonders if he's gotten the call from the distorted voice yet.

He has to find them. She knows he'll find them. She doesn't believe in much. Science, yes. Anthropology, yes. Logic, yes. But the one thing she's learned to believe in is him.

They discuss Jack's leg and the pain and she knows how to fix it, but she's worried she'll kill him either way. Jack doesn't care. If there's one more chance that he'll get to see Angela again, he'll take it, no matter how painful. So she sets up her impromptu operation and prepares Jack for the pain. Jack writes a goodbye note and it makes her just a little more nervous because she knows he's thinking about the end. Jack makes the confession about her best friend, and she wonders if she can actually help him. But she needs to do this. She needs to save her friend, her colleague, a good man.

She pretends she's making an incision into a cadaver and the cut is swift and quick. Jack cries out in pain and then passes out. She sits for a while, the knife still in her hand, crying. She thinks she's killed Dr. Hodgins. But when her brain begins to function as normal, she reaches over and takes his pulse. Faint, but there. She wipes her hands on the seat, trying her best to clean off the blood and she goes to work.

Her eyes wander over the meager supplies they were left with, trying to come up with a plan. It takes a while, but soon, the gears begin to turn and she remembers the faint radio reception they received. The phones, while without batteries, probably still work. While she rigs the phone to the horn, she racks her brain for a message they can send. Nothing besides 'help' and 'bye' come to her mind, but she's sending a message to her friends, people she knows can figure out code.

She tries out her experiment and honks the horn. It's loud, and her ears start ringing, but Jack's panting breaths are one of the best things she's heard all day. She tells him of her plan and he comes up with the same pessimistic answer. She tells Jack they're surrounded by dirt and he's offended by that term. So she scoops up a handful from the floor and hands it to him, challenging him to tell her what it is, without their equipment, without textbooks or databases. Just his knowledge and the small tools they have in their prison cell. Jack works his magic and he looks ecstatic when he finds out where they are. They set up the phone and Jack's thumb run the short sprint of the phone keyboard. She wants to know if it worked. Jack can't be sure.

Now, they just have to wait.

They sit, waiting. They look at each other at the same moment, both realizing their chests seem to be getting tighter, the oxygen in the air growing thinner and thinner. Jack guesses there's a spare tire in the trunk and they take turns tearing a hole in the back seat to get to the trunk. She slashes the tire open and they both inhale the air. Jack seems to accept his impending death, but she keeps looking for options to prolong the inevitable.

"Booth will find us." She's sure of it.

"You have a lot of faith in Booth," Jack says with a small smile playing across his lips.

"No. Faith is an illogical belief in something that is impossible. Over time, I've seen what Booth can do. It's not faith."

"No offense, and I'm not just saying this because you filleted me with a knife, we are out of air. We don't know if our message got out, much less if anyone understood it and we are buried underground. What you have is faith, baby."

She laughs lightly and so does he. But Jack looks like he could fall asleep at any moment. "Sorry," he says instead, "the 'baby' thing is a reflex."

"We shouldn't talk right now…to conserve air," she tells him. He has a sudden brain surge and he's going to pull thin air out of thin air. His experiment works, and she comes up with another idea, one she's willing to die for. But, she rationalizes, they'd die either way. So when Jack offers her the paper from her book to say goodbye, she takes it, to say goodbye to Angela, to Zach, to Booth.

She makes it quick, and goes back to the explosives. They set it up and she climbs in the backseat again. She can feel her heart pounding like it wants to pop from her chest. She looks back at Jack one last time and they exchange their own goodbyes. It's the first time she's cried in a while and she wonders, 'why now? I'm not ready to die.' She knows there are so many times earlier in her life that she should've died. She would've died if her parents hadn't left, if her parents' enemies would've found them. She would've died in foster care. This isn't her first time trapped in a car. She should've died then too. She should've died in that warehouse where Agent Kenton was keeping her. She should've died in the explosion from her fridge that seriously wounded her partner. Why now?

She hugs Jack tight and allows the tears to fall. Jack offers her his hand, and she takes it. They set off the charge, unaware of how powerful the explosion would be. She's surrounded by dirt now and the only way to go is up so she stretches her arms up, reaching for the sun. And that's when she comes in contact with skin. He's pulling her, he's saving her. Again. He's struggling to pull her from the dirt and he wraps his arms around her to get more leverage.

The light of the sun assaults her eyes and she takes a breath of fresh air to tell him, "Get Hodgins." Reluctantly, he pulls away for a moment to save Jack and she lies there, staring up at the sun, wondering why she's not dead. When he knows Jack's okay, he goes back to her. She's sitting up already, wanting to see for herself that Hodgins is alive. He scrambles to sit back next to her and they look at each other. They share a smile and he somehow convinces her to go to the hospital. Her stay is short. They give her a breathing mask to make sure her oxygen levels return to normal and she's given an IV to ward off any dehydration she could be suffering from. She's discharged quickly and she asks Booth to take her home. He asks if they can make a stop on the way. She agrees, not wanting to be alone quite yet. He glances over to her as he pulls into the church parking lot. Wordlessly, he helps her out of the car and she follows him. He takes a seat in the front pew and lowers the kneeler. He rests his knees on the padded beam and lowers his head. He's in that position for a while. She watches him and takes in her new surroundings, staring at the stained glass like it's an art form she's seeing for the first time. Finally, he sits back and blatantly, she asks, "What'd you ask for?"

"That's between me and a certain saint," he tells her, trying not to sound annoyed, "Although, I did ask for a little help finding the Gravedigger."

"Good move." She wrinkles her nose. She's just now noticing that sickly sweet musty smell.

"The candles," he nods toward the red array of lit candles, "And I said thanks. You should try it sometime."

"If I were going to pray, I would've done it just before we set off the explosion," she says.

"And you didn't?"

"No. See, if there was a god, which there isn't-"

"Shhh…Do you see where we are?"

"And if I were someone who believed He had a plan," she continues like his interruption had never occurred.

"Which I do," he adds for good measure.

"Then I would be tempted to think He wanted me to go through something like I went through because it might make me more open to the whole…concept."

"It obviously hasn't," he comments.

"I'm okay with you thanking God for saving me and Hodgins."

"That's not what I thanked Him for," he informs her, "I thanked Him for saving…All of us. It was all of us, every single one. You take one of us away, and you and Hodgins are in that hole forever. And I'm thankful for that."

She stares at him and sends a silent prayer to his God not to cry again. "I knew you wouldn't give up," she whispers.

"I knew you wouldn't give up," he says back.

"Because you have faith," she explains.

"And so do you."

"I do not."

He smiles. "If you don't believe me, fine. I know you have faith. In me, in the squints, and maybe even God. You don't have to admit it. I can see it. It's written all over."

"I don't understand."

"_You don't have to understand. You just have to have faith."_

"_Faith in what?"_

"_Destiny."_

A corner of her mouth turns up in a smile. "There you go with your destiny nonsense again!" she shouts, throwing her arms up.

He shushes her again and stands, pulling her toward the door. He's laughing, the noise echoing through the sanctuary. It's a sound she never thought she'd hear again. And it sounds pretty damn good.


	4. The Princess Bride

**The movie, The Princess Bride, was directed by Rob Reiner and written by William Goldman.**

**Chapter 4 – The Princess Bride**

* * *

She walks into the bar, looking around for him, when she spots him and all of their friends and coworkers. She can tell what's coming and his words confirm her thoughts. His dare to her to go up on stage makes her cheeks heat up and her friends begin to clap, encouraging her to get up on the stage. A smile creeps up onto her face and Dr. Sweets tells her it's okay to let loose. She challenges her therapist right back and he has no trouble deflecting it. The music is already playing and she looks skeptical, like she's being set up. But she knows her partner would never steer her wrong. He pushes her to the stage and when the music become part of her heartbeat, the rhythm matching the thumping in her chest, she throws her coat off and lets go.

He's grinning bigger than she's seen in a while and it's just what she needs to give herself one last push. She belts out the words to her favorite song from her childhood and dances around on stage. It's the happiest he's seen her in a long time, and while that makes him sad, he's glad he can help her. He watches with admiration as she pushes her vocal cords almost to their limits. He's bouncing in his chair, dancing to her song, swaying to the melody.

Neither of them saw Pam Noonan walk into the bar. He was too focused on her. She was too focused on the song.

The gun shot sounds like a bomb to her. He tries to stay on his feet, trying to block any more shots that could come her way. The first thing he thinks is why he didn't listen to Sweets. His next thought is on her, is she okay, will she find a new partner, she has to be okay.

He can't stay on his feet anymore, the blood loss, pain and shock getting to him. He falls. She jumps off stage, abandoning the microphone, trying to catch him as he goes down. She looks up at the delusional woman and when Pam's face turns from sorrow to anger, she can tell the woman wants her blood. Pam trains the gun on her once more, and she picks up her partner's gun, aiming at his assailant and shooting before she can get shot. Blood pours out of Pam's neck, but that's all she sees. Turning her attention back to him, she tells herself first, and then him, that he'll be okay. She can feel the blood seeping through her fingers, feel the life slipping from him.

He looks up in horror at her. He doesn't want her to deal with this, doesn't want his blood on her hands, doesn't want her to think it's her fault that he couldn't be saved.

She begs him to stay awake, begs him to keep his eyes open until emergency workers arrive. She can't lose him. She needs him. She hugs him all while keeping pressure on his wound. She can't bear to lose him. He needs to be okay.

EMS arrives and they take him away. They tell her she can't ride along. Partner or not, she's not family. Angela's a mess. She's in shock, but she's crying. The police arrive and they take statements, delaying their departure to the hospital. She's distracted, barely talking about anything else but him. Is he okay, she just wants to know. The metro police won't tell her anything, but when she's finally allowed to go, she runs to Jack's waiting car and hops in the back seat with Cam and Sweets. Angela sits in the front, sobbing, hardly able to breathe through her tears.

When they got to the hospital, no one was able to get information out of the nurses or the doctors. She spends the night yelling at orderlies and nurses and searching the hospital for him. When she returns to the waiting room, Cullen is standing there, Jack is holding Angela and Cam and Sweets have their heads buried in their hands. She asks his boss where he is. He delivers the news. He's dead.

She flops down in a chair while Cullen pulls Lance aside. They exchange whispers and Dr. Sweets quickly disappears.

* * *

Normally, under any other circumstance, she'd say the funeral is a lovely one. But she can't help but notice that someone is missing. Parker. Sure, it may be tragic for a young boy to attend his own father's funeral, but she finds it quite odd that the boy he raised to be so spiritual, to believe in Heaven, isn't here. She assumes Rebecca thought it was best that he stay home, so she tries to think nothing of it. She also found it odd that they wouldn't let Cam look at the body. Her boss had wanted to give a second opinion. But she hadn't been allowed.

She keeps an eye on the man lurking by the tree behind Ms. Julian, but her ears hone in on the sound of the single drum tapping.

The rumble starts and before she knows it, he's wrestling with the man by the tree in front of his casket. He's alive. Fine. She can be pissed at him later. But for now, she has his back. She picks up an arm from the mannequin in the casket and turns toward the suspect. He kicks the man back and when he tries to pick up the gun, she whips him with the arm, successfully knocking him out. She throws the arm down. This is later. She's pissed. She marches over to him and socks him right in the jaw. He falls back to the ground and she stalks off. Pissed because she had lost him. Furious that he had kept this secret from her. Now it's clear to her why Rebecca and Parker aren't here. They knew he's been alive this whole time.

* * *

He's been trying to explain the situation for ten minutes now. And she keeps repeating that she doesn't care. Hodgins butts in and she takes that opportunity to speed up, trying to escape more explanations. The waste of time comment comes as a low blow to him, but he somewhat expected that.

"Just know I won't be attending your next funeral," she informs him.

"Bones, I'm telling you, you were supposed to know I wasn't really dead! I swear! That's why I thought you weren't crying."

"Informed by who exactly?" Cam wants to know.

"I gave a list of people to the Bureau to inform that I was not really dead. You know, if they didn't tell you, it's not my fault." He's getting defensive now. It's not his fault she felt betrayed, abandoned again.

"Dr. Brennan's actually upset because she had to face strong emotions that she'd rather deny. Striking Agent Booth indicated the depth of your feelings for him. It was a very passionate act," Sweets tries to explain.

"Thank you. Did you hear that? Passion!" Booth mounts his defense once more.

"Yes, passion! Because anger is a passion, anger at being manipulated."

"Aw, forget it," he relents as Zach interrupts them.

* * *

She barges into his bathroom and for once, is so pissed off at him, she doesn't even bother to sneak a peek at him. She scares the shit out of him and he's too flustered to even bother covering himself up. She turns off the music to avoid yelling over it. She doesn't understand his beer hat, but it's the least of her worries at the moment. She scolds him about the cigar but gets right to her point. They yell. They get even more angry and he finally jumps up, standing to make a point. And now she can't help but take a very quick peek. She offers a towel and he gets back into the bath. They bargain, compromise, and he tells her he'll get to the bottom of it. He makes the promise and now he just wants to relax. She comments on his lack of modesty and he blushes. Just before she leaves, she turns the music back on and makes her exit. On her way out, she goes to return the spare key to the fake rock but keeps it. Just in case.

* * *

He grabs a hold of Sweets and drags him into her office. His hand wraps all the way around Sweets' arm and the psychologist winces in pain but tries not to let it show. He tells Sweets to hang up and he does, worried about what the agent is about to lay on him now. So go ahead, tell her, he tells Sweets. And when he drops the bomb about Sweets keeping his secret from her, Sweets knows he's busted. But he keeps his emotions in check. She's hurt. She looks like she's examining his face to accurately find the exact spot that would cause him the most pain. She wants to slug him. So Sweets hurries to explain his rationale behind not telling her about his 'death'. She thinks for a split second and she states she's glad that he kept it a secret. Sweets breathes a sigh of relief because he knows how hard she can punch. She's a strong woman and Sweets is genuinely afraid of her. She tells him why it's okay and now he's madder than ever. Maybe not mad, confused, Sweets ventures. They get sarcastic with each other, bickering over what was right and wrong. Cam interrupts, swiftly saving Sweets from a lashing from the partners. They walk out of her office, following Cam to the Gormogon vault. Booth lags behind, letting her go by him, but stops Sweets.

"I don't know why you guys are so upset," Sweets sighed, already knowing why Booth stopped him.

"I am upset because you lied to her," Booth says through his teeth, "She thought I was dead. She was alone."

"Technically, no, she wasn't. We were all checking up on her all the time. I didn't tell her because of how she compartmentalizes those feelings."

"You know what I mean, kid. She was alone."

"_Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while."_

"True lo-…Sweets! That's not what we're talking about! If Bones hears you say that, she'll kick your ass. I'm not going to tell her that but you better not let her hear you say stuff like that."

Booth speeds up, catching up to Cam to see what she knows about the recent happenings in the vault. They're trotting down the stairs and that's when she stops Sweets. The psychologist's eyes widen and he's nervous again, afraid she's finally going to knock him something fierce. She snaps at him, much like Booth just did moments earlier. She sputters about being an experiment and Sweets tries to deflect the situation. But she's been reading him like a book. Somehow, she saw through it. And now, she's pissed.

"Don't you think that'd be an overly aggressive act?" Sweets asks when she tells him that her partner would willing kick his ass.

"Not at all. So you better not do it again." She turns and finishes the trip down the stairs.

Sweets stands in place for a moment, giving thanks for not receiving a black eye and for just the results he wanted out of his experiment: Proof that his two favorite patients are more than just partners. Even if they can't see it themselves.


	5. Sabrina

**A/N: Short update, but I love the quote from _Sabrina _that I used :)**

**The 1954 version of Sabrina was directed by Billy Wilder and written by Samuel Taylor, Billy Wilder, and Ernest Lehman**

* * *

He recognizes the come on when he hears it. But he always thought he was the better looking between the two of them. But according to her, Jar-head has the more symmetrical features. He brushes it off, knowing his brother has no chance with her. And luckily, it's Cam he wants to take to his party. But his partner volunteers first. He tells her, no way. Because there is no way he would be able to handle seeing her with his brother. He begins stumbling over his words, trying to give her excuses as to why she can't go. Cam saves him and agrees to go. And it isn't until later, when Cam is unable to go, that his partner volunteers to be his brother's date. The awkwardness that fills his SUV suffocates him. He hangs up and he tries not to let the jealousy get the better of him. She seems excited and she tells him how she planned to observe the higher ups in the Pentagon in a social setting. It's getting back to her anthropological roots. When she notices his scowl, she stops talking about her planned evening and begins to talk about the case once more. He seems more than happy to talk about work, so she sticks to that subject, not wanting to cause a rift. Between brothers, or in their partnership.

* * *

He recognizes the language. It's the one his Gran used to speak to him and Jared. French. She'd tell them stories when they just before bed or sing to them when they had nightmares after their father left. It brings back memories of his childhood. He can hear her pacing in the lab, her high heels clicking on the floor. She's talking into her cell phone in a tongue that he can barely understand. She notices him and says goodbye to whoever is on the other end.

"Sorry to interrupt."

"It's fine. What's that?" she points to the folders in his hand.

"Preliminary case files. Who was that?" he wants to know.

"The publisher in Paris who handles the sales of my books in France. It was just…boring business."

He nods slowly. "I didn't know you spoke French."

"I speak six languages," she boasts.

He smiles. "Will you teach me some?"

She shrugs with one shoulder, looking around the platform tables for where she left her earrings. "What do you want to know?"

"_How do you say in French my sister has a yellow pencil?"_

"_Ma soeur a un crayon jaune."_

"_How do you say my brother has a lovely girl?"_

"_Mon frère a une gentile petite amie."_

"_And how do you say I wish I were my brother?"_

She looks up at him, mildly shocked at the words that came out of his mouth.

She makes the comment that she needs to check in with Dr. Edison one last time, so he exits the lab gracefully, looking over his shoulder a few times to watch her walk away. He wants to regret what he just said. But she looks so beautiful. And he's wholeheartedly jealous of Jared.

* * *

She starts talking about him, and she wonders if that's okay on a date. Though, Angela had told her that she should never talk about exes on a date, but since he was not technically her ex, she doesn't believe she crossed a line. Jared doesn't seem to mind talking about his brother, says he's not a risk-taker and plays it safe.

"Can you give me an example?" she asks. Jared leans over and before she knows it, she's comparing the way the brothers kiss. She knows it's wrong, but she can tell who has softer lips, who is the more experienced kisser. And it's not the man she has for company tonight.

"I betcha Seeley never took that risk," Jared says, releasing her lips from his.

She thinks back to the grungy bar and the kiss in the rain. "Nope," she says instead of telling Jared the truth. But right in this moment, she wishes it was his brother.


	6. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

**A/N: The movie, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, was directed by Michel Gondry and written by Charlie Kaufman, Michel Gondry and Pierre Bismuth**

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He sits in the hospital room. The starch crisp gown makes him itch and he hates being laid up in bed. Nurses come in and out, checking his vitals and assuring him he'll be fine. He nods and smiles politely at them. It's not that he doesn't believe them. He does. Or, he wants to, anyway. He's lost count of the number of times he's been in the hospital for one thing or another, though he's sure his partner could tell him. She's standing out in the hall with a doctor, trying to finagle her way into the operating room. The doctor comes in, with her following closely behind. His surgeon wants his permission to have his partner in the OR. Of course, he tells the doctor. She smiles at him and it's the first time all day he's felt reassured.

"I'd like to go over what will be happening while we're in surgery, Mr. Booth, so you and your wife know what's going on," the surgeon says.

"Oh, she's not…" "I'm not his…" They both say. Each leave their words hanging, not really wanting to go into detail.

"Oh," the doctor blushes, "I'm sorry, I just assumed." He delves into the details, giving her the clinical aspects and him the layman's version.

"_Is there any risk of brain damage?" _she asks.

"_Well, technically speaking, the operation is brain damage, but it's on par with a night of heavy drinking. Nothing you'll miss," _his doctor tells them with a smile. But then he starts to wonder. His dad used to drink to forget, and Jared still does. He's past that, past gambling to forget, past hurting himself and the ones he loves for a night of not having to think. He knows it's a just a simile, just something to compare it to, but his doctor's words resonate deeper inside him than intended. He tells the doctor he has no more questions and the doctor leaves, telling him nurses will be in soon to get him ready for the procedure.

And, like he was told, nurses fill the room just moments after. One nurse takes his partner out to the hallway, giving her a set of scrubs and other sterile gear for the operating room. She's directed to change and when she takes the clothes from the nurse, her eyes flicker back up to him.

He can see the fear in her eyes and he wonders what she's afraid of. Losing inspiration for her books? Nah. Losing a partner? Possibly. Losing a friend? Yes, but he wonders if there's more to it.

She can see the concern in his eyes and she wonders what's wrong. Has he changed his mind about the surgery? She doubts it. Is he having another hallucination? It's possible, she supposes.

She walks next to his bed as he's wheeled to the operating room. She sits next to him and holds his hand during surgery, all while keeping an eye on the monitors. She asks the doctors questions and makes sure they don't mess up, just like he asked. And when he's finally resting back in his room, a nurse gives her the suggestion to talk to him, tell him a story, or do something to let him know he's not alone. She decides on the story suggestion, because she's a bestselling author. It seems like the easiest route. So she dives into a story, not like one she's ever written before. Sure, there's still a murder mystery, but there's no Kathy Reichs or Andy Lister. No anthropology or in depth police work. Just a simple story about nightclub owners, something that seems as far away from their reality as possible. She takes a few breaks, talking to nurses and doctors about why he hasn't woken up yet. They take him for scans and they make her wait. She writes more of the story and reads it to him when he gets back from his CTs and MRIs. Anesthesia is the explanation they give her. They don't know what caused it. They don't know when he'll wake up. But all they can tell her is that he'll be fine.

He wakes up the next day. His questions worry her. He has no idea who she is. Not really. He calls her by the nickname Angela gave her and asks if the baby's okay. And that's when she figures it out. He thinks they're nightclub owners, thinks they're married, thinks they're about to start a family. She tries to explain and a nurse jumps into help her, but it does no good.

He doesn't understand why his wife won't speak to him. He doesn't know how he got here. Or why. The last thing he remembers is sitting in his wife's office. Then staring at nothing, listening to the whirring, clicking and a few beeps. He had lifted his head up, to see where he was, and then heard a voice: "Mr. Booth, please stay still. We'll need to do some scans again. Your partner is right outside waiting for you." Partner? Partner for what? Business partner? No, his wife was his… Oh.

He asks a nurse where she is. She tells him she left a while ago, but someone else would be along to be with him shortly. And, true to the nurse's word, Cam arrives.

"Where is she?"

Cam smiles softly. The pathologist had expected this question, but exactly sure how he'd react. True, he's okay, but she had been told that he was having issues remembering who was who, told that he might call her Detective. Oddly, Cam hadn't questioned this, but is interested. Former cop or not, her curiosity has piqued.

"She's in Guatemala. She'll be back in a few weeks."

"What's she doing there?"

"Digging up…Aztecs or something," Camille ventures, giving him a shrug. He wants to keep the life he remembers, but not if it's not real. He wants everything to be real.

"Tell me everything," he whispers, "I don't know who I am."


	7. The Bridges of Madison County

**A/N: the movie, the Bridges of Madison County, was directed by Clint Eastwood and written by Richard LaGravenese and Robert James Waller**

**The missing scene we're seeing now is what happened before the airport scene in The Beginning in the End.**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

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They both decide to leave. But it's only a year. What's a year?

He can't believe he's doing this. Going back to the one thing he said he never would. But it's for the best. He needs a break from her no matter how much he loves her. Because she won't openly love him back.

His son does the best he can to not cry when he goes to say goodbye. Parker takes deep breaths and acts brave. He's never seen his dad in uniform before. Only quick peeks from the photo albums on the top shelf of the bookcase. He doesn't want his dad to see him cry. He can see his son trying to stay strong, so he lets one tear fall, letting Parker know its okay. Parker breaks down and wraps his arms around his dad's neck. One year, he tells Parker. He promises to write Parker every day, to tell him all about the cool planes and tanks, to give him advice on his checking tactics and his jump shots. He gives Parker ones last hug and it last for a while. He gives him a kiss on the forehead and does his best not to cry as he climbs into his SUV. He looks in the rearview mirror, watching his son watch him drive away. It's the hardest thing he's ever had to do, something he said he'd never do, but is doing it for the sake of his livelihood, his sanity, his heart.

He has two more stops to make and one will be easier than the other. That he already knows.

He drives at a leisurely pace through Arlington, taking in the enormity of the cemetery. He pulls the keys from the ignition and walks through the grass. He keeps an eye on the headstone he's aiming for and it feels like the walk to the grave is becoming longer and longer with each step he takes. And when he arrives, he straightens the miniature cockeyed American flag wedged in the ground and brushes away some dirt from the etchings in the stone.

"I screwed up, Teddy. I've screwed everything up. Bones is leaving. It's my fault. And I'm going back. Do you see this?" he gestures to his fatigues, "I'm too old for this shit. I've got a kid. Parker's old enough to know what's going on over there. He's scared. He's going to go to bed every night wondering if I'm still alive. I said I was done after you died. I messed up. What am I doing?"

He rubs a hand over his face and over his shorter than normal hair. "I gotta go say goodbye to her and I'm not sure how to do that without wanting to kiss her. I love her, Ted. Like…more than I loved Rebecca. More than I've ever loved anyone. But…she doesn't want me. So, I'm going to move on. That's why I'm going. It makes sense in my head but when I say it out loud, I feel…stupid. Anyway, I'll see you when I get back, man," he speaks to his friend's headstone. He looks around, expecting to see Teddy's ghost. But he smiles when his Army buddy is nowhere to be seen.

The last stop. His last goodbye. He kills the engine and sits for a while. He's not sure what he's going to say so he goes with the only plan he's been able to come up with. He takes his time walking to her door and spends what seems like eternity trying to build up the courage to knock. He jumps a bit when the door opens.

"What are you doing out here?" she sounds annoyed, but worried at the same time.

"How'd you know I was here?"

"Mrs. Hinkle is a good neighbor. She said an Army man was lingering outside. Must not have recognized you."

"Right. Um, can I come in?"

She nods and steps aside. There's a suitcase by the door and her laptop bag is ready to be filled.

"All packed and ready to go?" he says, making small talk. He knows he came for more than that, but how much more?

"I suppose. Just a few more things to pack and I should be ready. Are you…"

"Yeah, I said goodbye to Parker already. I have to head over to the base this afternoon and I leave for Fort Benning tomorrow."

"I'm sorry you have to leave Parker. I can't imagine how hard it must be." Once she says it, she knows she shouldn't have brought it up. She clears her throat and says, "I leave tomorrow as well."

"Yeah, about that…I may not be able to come say goodbye tomorrow. I probably won't be able to get off the base. So I thought…"

She launches herself at him, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, hugging him tight. He relishes the moment, but only for a short time. They pull away at the same time.

"You have to stop letting me hug you when I get scared," she says at the same time he says, "I can't, Bones."

She looks at him, her head slightly cocked to one side, as if she's studying a set of remains. "What do you mean you can't?"

"I can't hug you or…I can't. If I do, I'm going to want to kiss you and that's not what you want so I'm not going to push it. We're both leaving. We both need a break."

She nods and wonders if leaving is what's best. He doesn't want to leave Parker, that much obvious, but he can't go back on his commitment to the Army now. It's too late. "Do you need a break from me?"

He takes a deep breath and wonders what to tell her. "Yes," he says with an amount of bluntness he's not used to. Normally, blunt and outright are her thing. Maybe that's why he decides not to beat around the bush.

She looks hurt. He expected that. So, he clarifies, "I can't move on if I'm around you. I need time and space right now. I need you, but you don't want me. And _I don't want to need you, 'cause I can't have you. _That's why I'm leaving."

His clarification isn't helping. Her eyes have clouded over and she's doing what she can to keep her tear ducts from going into overdrive. So she starts to nod slowly, telling the both of them that she's beginning to understand why he's leaving. She decides to respond to his last words and says instead, "If you can't come to the airport tomorrow, I understand. Stay safe over there, Booth. Come back in one piece."

He laughs wryly. "Yeah. That jungle's dangerous, Bones. Make sure Hodgins tells you which monster bugs to avoid."

It's silent for a moment and he decides that's his cue to leave. He leans over and places his lips on her cheek. She closes her eyes, trying to hold in her tears and fighting the urge to kiss him back.

He knows if he sees her tomorrow, he won't be able to kiss her. He won't be able to hug her. If he does, he won't want to let go. And that's what he needs to do. Let go.

"I'll see ya, Bones."


	8. An Officer and A Gentleman

**A/N: The movie, An Officer and A Gentleman, was directed by Taylor Hackford and written by Douglas Day Stewart**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

**I know nothing about the military, just things that I've researched and what I can squeeze from my grandpa and cousin. So, if I'm wrong about anything Army and/or military (in the little that is mentioned), blame Google :)**

**This one's super short, so I'm going to upload twice today :)**

**There are two lines from the movie in here: Booth's dialogue and the cadence he uses. I only changed the name.**

* * *

He stretches out on his cot and his back protests. The countless kinks and knots he feels make him wince in pain but he sits up like nothing's bothering him. He starts his day by gathering the men he's supposed to be training and gets them going. He has to essentially be their mother, making sure they eat, making sure they know how to handle their guns with the proper care, making sure they don't die. He won't let what happened to Teddy happen to them. He made them that promise on the first day. But he also gives them a warning. He's going to be a hard ass, tougher than the drill sergeants at Basic Training, and crueler than their scariest nightmares.

On the eighth day, they run a drill, one that he means for them to fail. He's playing them, like he played her years ago. Checking out the players, as Cam called it. But somehow, inexplicably, they succeed. The drill was supposed to leave them all 'dead'. So, instead of showing his men how proud he is of them, he tells them they failed anyway, makes up an excuse as to why and makes them give him pushups. They get up to about sixty a few times when someone stops and he makes them start over again. But then, Davis makes the comment, "Looks like Sarge needs to take out that sexual frustration on someone." He laughs heartily once, like it was some random psychology theory that Sweets was spouting off at him and he tells them to get up. Hesitantly, his men look at each other and slowly get up. Tired, they don't stand at attention, rather leaning on each other trying to catch their breath. He watches them struggle as they stand sloppily in line and he thinks back to his training days. His superiors were great men, men he still looks up to. That's who he wants to be for them. And while his bosses were cruel and mean, they whipped his ass into shape. That's what these kids need.

So he laughs again and they look at him like he's gone insane.

"_In every class there's always one joker who thinks that he's smarter than me. In this class, that happens to be you. Isn't it, _Davis_?"_

Davis' eyes bulge like he's been caught with one hand in the cookie jar. He begins to stammer. "Sir, I…uh,um…"

"Well, you know what, we're gonna go on a little run. Stand up! Get your act together, boys!" he yelled, nudging them just enough to get them in line. They stand in formation and the first few men start them off, setting the tempo for the run.

He remembers back to his training, remembering a cadence that his Sergeant used when he would mouth off.

"Private Davis' _struttin' in the dirt,"_ He waits for them to repeat before he continues, _"Look at his face, he's starting to hurt…"_

He continues the cadence and he knows this is just what he needs to get his mind away from her.


	9. Say Anything

**A/N: The movie, Say Anything, was directed and written by Cameron Crowe**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

**This one's short too. I'm working on Ch 10, Spanglish, right now and it could be up by the end of the day if I can motivate myself (and if my Celtics win lol)**

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He's been in the desert for six weeks. And despite the fact that he's been hard on his men, they've become close. The training drills have turned into missions and his role has shifted. He sees himself more like a captain on a hockey team rather than a principle of a high school. It's late at night and they're sitting in the mess tent. The coffee is nothing special, nothing to write home about, but the caffeine keeps them moving. None of them ready for bed just yet. They're trading stories about life back home, the girls they have waiting for them, the cooking Mom has already promised them. They've worked their way around the table and now it's his turn.

"Your turn, Sarge. What's your story?" Davis asks.

"Yeah, who do you write to every day?" Altman questions him.

"That is none of your business. We better hit the sack. We've got another long day tomorrow," he deflects the questions, standing up to leave the mess tent.

"Aw, come on, Boss. Just tell us!" is just one of the protests he hears from his men.

He sighs, giving them a slight smile and sits back down.

"So who are those letters for?" Altman asks again.

"Parker, my son."

"You have a kid?" some of them ask. He smiles again, expecting this reaction from them. They've been here a while now and are past the normal get-to-know-you stage.

"Yep. He's almost ten," he says, like he can't believe how much time has passed.

"What about a girl? You married? Engaged? Committed in any sort of way?"

He laughs once. "That is none of your business." They all groan and try to cajole him into telling them.

"If he doesn't want to tell, it must be juicy," Davis jokes.

"Tell us everything," Messer gushes like a teenage girl a sleepover.

"No. I don't think so. There are some things in my life that I want to keep private."

"Sarge, _why do you have to be like this?" _Altman says.

"'_Cause I'm a guy. I have pride."_

"_You're not a guy."_

"_I am."_

"_No," _Altman tells him,_ "The world if full of guys. Be a man. Don't be a guy."_

He sighs and he launches into a cryptic version of the past year. Brain tumor, psychics, the whole works. No one speaks for a moment. Messer runs a hand over his short hair and Altman lets out a loud sigh.

"Damn," Davis speaks first.

"Yeah, I'd keep that to myself too."


	10. Spanglish

**A/N: The movie, Spanglish, was written and directed by James L. Brooks**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

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It's a Sunday. No mission, no training, just a Sunday in the desert. They had gotten a day off, a fluke in the system or something. The sun is starting to set and the heat of the desert is about to cool significantly. He sits under the only shade he can find: a fig tree just past the edge of the camp. He flips through the letters he's gotten from Parker and wonders why he hasn't heard from her. He guesses she's probably just busy making history changing discoveries and essentially rewriting textbooks.

He still has an unopened envelope from his son, a letter that came in the mail the day before. He thinks of saving it for a bad day, a day when he needs to be cheered up. But that's every day, he realizes. So he rips apart the envelope and takes in his son's crooked handwriting. He's all smiles as he reads about Parker's hockey game and the hat trick he scored, the A+ he got on a history project about President Lincoln and the Jeffersonian's science fair. But when he reads Parker's next words, his heart begins to ache.

**Max told me to send this to you. Look inside! There's a picture of me and Bones!**

He looks at the brochure that Parker had enclosed. It's for the after school science program that the Jeffersonian puts on. He opens the first flap and sure enough, she and his son stare back at him. Both in their lab coats, they hold beakers containing a mysterious liquid, their smiles nearly identical.

He hears footsteps but doesn't look up. He knows it's only Davis.

"What's going on, Sarge? You wanna come play some football? The guys and I need one more body to make the teams even."

He shakes his head. "Nah, you guys go ahead. I'm just gonna chill out for a while."

Davis takes a seat next to him. "You alright?"

"Yeah. I'm fine, " he answers.

"There a reason you're looking into a kids' science program?"

"Huh?"

Davis taps on the brochure.

"Oh, um, my son's in the program. He's in the flyer." He passes it to Davis and points out Parker.

"Hey, he's a good lookin' kid…tough like his old man. Is, uh…is that her?"

"Yep," he answers shortly.

"Wow, Sarge. She's smokin'. I know you said that before, but…wow."

He smiles. "I know."

"How long have you known her?"

"Six years."

"And you haven't…"

"Nope."

"Why?" Davis cries.

"She's different. She's not a normal woman. _They should name a gender after _her_. Looking at _her_ doesn't do it. Staring is the only way that makes any sense. And trying not to blink, so you don't miss anything. _And she's more than just beautiful. She's ridiculously intelligent. She's got this knack for making me feel stupid, but she never means it. It's just this thing she does that drives me absolutely insane. And she doesn't know it, but she's really funny when she's not trying too hard. And she's an incredibly great writer. Her books are bestsellers every time. She's famous for it, and she doesn't understand why. But her writing is just…incredible." He goes on for a few minutes and Davis listens patiently. He describes her views on marriage and love, citing those as the reasons she shot him down.

"Damn, Boss, that's a tough break. You gonna try again when you get home?"

He shakes his head. "I gotta move on. And I told her that. I need to find someone who really wants to be with me, wants what I want."

"I hear ya," Davis agrees, "We'll find you someone, Sarge. Don't you worry, the boys and I got you covered."

He laughs dryly. "Yeah, and who are we going to meet here?"


	11. Tristan and Isolde

**A/N: The movie, Tristan and Isolde, was directed by Kevin Reynolds and written by Dean Georgaris**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

**Now, we were told by Hannah how she and Booth met, but I'm taking some liberties with it as I will with the rest of the events that have happened so far in the series. It's only because I'm trying to make it work with the quote/movie selection that I have so far. I have 50 chapters planned out and if I redo it so it works with the series, it'll take forever, and it might take longer to get the end result I'm looking for. Just thought you all deserved a heads up.**

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Day after day, mission after mission, they come back to camp and relax. The missions, taxing and depressing, take a toll on each of them. Some of his men spend their down time sleeping, others play ball, and a few get on the computers and call home. He's normally the odd one out. He's the only one that heads back into the little town to relax. It seems odd to the rest of them, the fact that he returns to the place where they arrest, shoot at and kill insurgents, where they see the blood of the enemy and tears of the innocent spilled. He takes a small gun with him, smart enough to know it's still a dangerous place. Davis offers to go with him, but he never accepts. Private Davis has noticed that when his boss comes back from the town, he's just a bit sadder than he was when he left. Today isn't any different. Davis wants to say something, but he doesn't want his boss to over react and make him run a few miles on their day off.

So he waits until the next day to say anything. At the moment, it's just him and his boss, waiting for a particularly cruel target to round the corner. They're just below the ridge, out of site, their eyes trained a few miles away on the path where a man is about to take his last steps.

His mentor puts the rifle down, steadies it and peers through the scope. No sight of their target yet, Davis knows, looking through a scope of his own, so he tentatively brings up the topic.

"You, uh, you doin' alright, Sarge?"

"I'm doing just fine, Davis. Keep quiet."

"Yeah, okay, but you seemed…upset yesterday when you came back to camp."

"I'm fine, Davis. Just shut up."

"Okay," Davis stops his questioning, thinking that if he continues at all, he's going to get himself shot. But right now, he doesn't care. "Boss, are you sure? You can tell me. You know I won't tell the other guys."

And he knows the Private is right. After he told Davis about her, the kid never said a word. It's their secret, their thing, like the doctor-patient confidentiality he has with Sweets. What the hell, he says to himself. He thinks that maybe if he tells the kid, he'll feel better. So he gets it off his chest.

"_Yesterday at the market, I saw I couple holding hands…and I realized we'll never do that. Never anything like it. Just moments that leave too quickly." _The moment it comes out of his mouth he wonders if he should've said it. To him, it sounds like something she would've written. And maybe she did. Maybe it was something Kathy said when she broke up with Andy. He can't remember. But, thankfully, Davis says nothing and he looks back through the scope for their target.

* * *

That night, back at camp, when their target has been taken care of and their next mission is looming, he lays on his cot, looking at the roof of the tent. He hears the soft rapping of knuckles against the canvas and he sits up, swinging his legs over the edge as he tells whoever's on the other side to come in.

Davis peeks his head inside. A big, stupid grin covers his face.

"What is it, Davis?"

"Sarge, you gotta come out here."

"Why?"

"Colonel Pelant is here. He needs to talk to you."

He stifles a groan and heads outside. The sun has set and he wanted to be asleep by now. They have a big mission the next day, one that won't see them back at camp for a few days. It'll be almost a week before he sees his cot. But he goes outside anyway and walks to the communications tent where Davis said Pelant is waiting.

"Colonel?"

"Booth, I've got someone I want you to meet. A reporter is going to be embedded with your unit for the rest of your tour. I'll give you a list of training exercises and missions she can and can't go on."

"She?"

"Yes. Sergeant Major Booth, this is Hannah Burley."


	12. Up in the Air

**A/N: The movie, Up In The Air, was written by Jason Reitman, Sheldon Turner and Walter Kirn and directed by Jason Reitman**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

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He's not sure what to think when Pelant introduces him to the journalist. Her blonde hair looks insanely good for having to withstand the desert heat.

He sticks out his hand, shaking off the thoughts that come to mind about her. "Seeley Booth. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," she says, taking his hand and giving him a lopsided grin.

"Booth, show her around, introduce her to your men and show her to her tent. I'm having one set up for her next to yours as we speak. Ms. Burley, good luck to you, and let me know if you need anything."

"Thank you, Colonel. I'm sure I'll be fine here."

Pelant nods once and leaves.

"Come on. Let's go meet the guys."

He rounds up his men and introduces them to Hannah. She seems in her element and begins to write down everyone's names on a small memo pad. While she's talking with Altman and Messer, Davis pulls him off to the side and nudges him with his elbow. He shoots Davis a look.

"What, Sarge? Come on! This is your moving on chance! Your scientist isn't anywhere near here and you've got a saucy little blonde right here who keeps sending you the look."

"The look?"

"Yeah, you know! The look!" Davis says as he makes a face and thrusts his hips back and forth. The movement earns him a solid punch in the shoulder. He ditches Davis on the spot and walks back to the reporter to save her from the come-ons from his men.

They take a walk. He shows her around the camp, tells her which food to avoid from the mess tent, which computer in the Communications tent works the best and which shower stall has the best water pressure. They talk for a while, just walking and he realizes how nice it is to have someone to talk to, to confide in other than Davis.

"So why are you here?"

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure the news in the States deserves to be reported too."

She smiles. "It's more fun here. The sense of adventure is…intoxicating."

He smiles back at her. "Yeah, it's something like that."

"I told you why I'm here. Your turn."

"Needed to get away from the real world." He doesn't dare mention his life back home. He'll bring up Parker soon enough, but his love life stays on the shelf. The last thing he wants to do is drive another woman away, whether or not there's something between them. He feels like there could be something. She's funny, smart, and she's not a scientist.

"You gotta be real careful around here," he warns her.

"I can take care of myself," Hannah says.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Yes. _I am the woman that you don't have to worry about."_

"_Sounds like a trap."_


	13. Love Actually

**A/N: The movie, Love Actually, was written and directed by Richard Curtis**

**Follow me on Twitter for updates on my stories and other fun stuff: gocubsgo1717**

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She's been sitting at the bar for a while. She's alone. And for the first time since she was a teenager, she hates being alone. Meeting his girlfriend was more painful than she would've thought. Deep down, she had been hoping it would be another Catherine situation. But their greeting in the Diner told her there was no way the two situations were the same.

He had done it.

He had moved on.

The look on his face when he saw her walking up to the Diner was like watching a reunion at the airport. Full of just as much love and hope as the kiss he had given her on the Hoover steps months ago. Really, truly, deeply in love with her like he had always wanted? She doesn't know. She wants him to be happy. That's what she's always wanted for him. Who was she to judge the stranger? It hurt to watch them together. The only thing she could do, knew how to do was to introduce herself. She had made the effort to be kind to the woman he…does he love her? She needed to break it up. She couldn't bear to watch it.

And then her coworkers pressed her on it. She knew they'd meet Hannah soon enough, they could judge for themselves, but when her boss made the comment about them being a couple, it took everything in her power to hold in the tears to continue her work. She stayed hunched over the skeleton, keeping the conversation short to avoid letting the tears leak.

Their normal celebratory drink after a solved case was made short this time. Hannah showed up half way through her second drink and made her feel more uncomfortable than she had felt in a long time.

She barely registers Angela's presence as her friend sidles up to the bar. She orders a Shirley Temple but doesn't say anything else, letting the silence fall comfortably between them.

"Sweetie, do you wanna talk about it?" Angela says when she finishes her drink.

She signals the bartender. He brings the bottle over and pours more of the amber liquid into her glass. She takes another long swig before she answers her friend. "Not really."

"You love him, don't you?"

"Yes." She keeps her answers simple.

Angela doesn't know what to say. She wants to make her feel better, but drinking seems the way to go for now.

"When did you realize it?"

"The day I arrived in Maluku." She finishes off her drink again but doesn't signal the bartender. He wanders over and offers her more, but Angela covers her friend's glass and shakes her head, sending the bartender away.

"Sweetie, he loves you. This won't last."

"You can't know that, Ange. You can't predict the future no more than your psychic can."

"Brennan, _life is full of interruptions and complications. _You can't let this bring you down. She's just a phase."

"He loves her. Not me. Can you just take me home? I just want to go to bed."

Angela gives her a sad smile. She knew all her friend would need was a good night's sleep and she would be back to her normal workaholic self. Avalon had foreseen some bumps in the road for her best friend and the studly FBI agent.

But she also told Angela that, no matter what happens, bumps in the road won't alter the destination.


	14. Fools Rush In

**A/N: The movie, Fools Rush In, was written by Joan Taylor and Katherine Reback and directed by Andy Tennant**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

**For anyone waiting for a Lifeline update, I am SO sorry. Just haven't really had any inspiration for that fic lately. I love my AU take on B&B in that series so I want to do this right. I don't want to force it and just write something just because. I want it to be good, not just 'eh'. So until I can get to that place, you'll just have to wait :/ Sorry.**

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The drive to the retirement community is made in silence. Hannah looks out the window at the passing scenery and he wonders what she's thinking about.

He wants his grandfather to have the same reaction he had to his partner. He wants his grandfather to love Hannah the same way he loves his partner. He thinks about Pops and the relationship he has with her. It's fun, carefree and perfect. It can be hard to get along with his Pops. The man is stubborn and stuck in his ways, but somehow, she got him to open up and smile more than he had seen Pops smile since Gran passed. Their conversations, while slightly embarrassing, are real. Not contrived by trying to be polite to someone who doesn't share the same views or fake by agreeing with something the other says just to avoid argument, the words spoken are honest and, even sometimes when he's willing to admit it, pretty amusing.

Hannah asks what Pops is like. He gives her anecdotes about his childhood, telling her what he's all about. It seems the best way to describe him. He wants them to get along, but Pops seemed so dead set on the fact that his partner is the one for him, he's not sure how well this introduction will go over. He parks the SUV in the visitor's lot and they exit the car. They walk side by side, and about half way to the front door, he takes her hand. She looks up at him, mildly surprised at his action, but goes along with it. They check in with the front desk and the nurse behind the desk tells them he's in the media room.

Pops is sitting with a few other men watching a college basketball game, talking stats and sneaking in a cigar.

"Pops!" he calls out and the old man's head snaps up. A huge grin spreads across his face and he puts out the cigar before making his way to his grandson.

"Shrimp! How the hell are ya?"

"Pretty good, Pops," he says, accepting the hug his grandfather offers. "There's someone I want you to meet."

Hank looks Hannah over, but keeps his mouth shut, waiting for the introduction.

"Pops, this is Hannah Burley. Hannah, I'd like you to meet my grandpa, Hank Booth."

"It's really nice to meet you, sir. Seeley has told me so much about you," Hannah says, leaning in for a hug.

Hank accepts and gives her a small hug in return, plastering a small, polite smile on his face.

The afternoon seems to pass slowly for Hank Booth. While he is glad his grandson is home, safe and out of the warzone, he's insanely frustrated. He listens politely as Hannah tells stories of her travels and the stories she's reported on. He barely speaks, letting her have the stage while his grandson listens. He seems proud. But is he proud of her? Or proud that he's moved on? Hank waits for the reporter to make a bathroom break when he has some one-on-one time with Shrimp before saying anything,

"Where's Temperance?" he asks when Hannah's out of ear shot.

"She's in DC. Why?"

"I miss her! I haven't had a decent conversation since the last time I saw her. When are you gonna bring her back?"

"I don't know, Pops," he says, letting out a sigh and checking for Hannah's return.

"How long is this going to last, Seeley? A month? Maybe two?"

"It's been eight months," he says as a reminder."

Hank rolls his eyes and throws his hands up in the air. "You're sending Temperance the wrong message. Did I not teach you right? The woman is perfect for you, and yet you spend your time jumping in bed with Reporter Barbie. Is Temperance okay with this? I think I'll give her a call later, see if she's doing alright."

It's his turn to roll his eyes. "Pops, Bones is fine. She's more than okay with me and Hannah. She told me to move on."

"And you believed her?" Hank cries.

"What do you mean? Bones isn't...cryptic with what she says like most women are."

"Temperance loves you. Are you really going to give that up?

"She doesn't love me, Pops! She doesn't believe in love!"

Hank scoffs. _"How selfish you are. To presume you know better than love."_

"Who does Seeley know better than?" Hannah asks, sitting back down next to her boyfriend.

He puts on a smile just for her and gives her a quick kiss. "No one."


	15. PS I Love You

**A/N: The movie, P.S. I Love You, was written by Steven Rogers, Richard LaGravenese and Cecelia Ahern and directed by Richard LaGravenese**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

**Writing Hacker always kind of makes me nervous. It's just for a line or two but I'm not sure if I've got a good handle on him. I hope what he says sounds like what he'd really say. Let me know what you guys think.**

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She looks in the mirror and adds just a smudge more of eye shadow. Then she twists up her hair, adding a few pins here and there to help it stay. When she's satisfied with her look, she slips off her robe and into the satin floor-length dress. She dons her heels and adds a chunky bracelet before grabbing her clutch and darting outside to the waiting, honking cab. She directs the cab driver to a ballroom just across town. It's the night of the FBI ball for the agents, contractors and the rest of the staff of the Hoover building. She arrives and a man opens the cab door for her. She pays the cabbie and exits, ignoring the man's hand, offering to help her out of the vehicle. She follows the chatter and music to the ballroom where she searches out a friendly face. She knows Angela and Jack will not be attending. Her friend's reason of 'I feel like a bloated overweight elephant' makes no sense to her. She spots Cam on the dance floor with an agent she's seen around the bullpen. Her interns are not who she wants to socialize with so she goes to the bar and orders a glass of wine. A few agents try to make small talk, but she keeps them at an arm's length and keeps an eye out for the man she's been waiting for.

He had told her he'd be coming to this function alone and would need some company. She didn't dare ask him to accompany her. He was in a committed relationship with another woman. Being his date would be socially frowned upon, despite the fact she didn't particularly care for the norms of society. But she stands at the bar alone, waiting for him. An elderly woman appears next to her, and she recognizes her as Andrew Hacker's secretary.

"Are you waiting for someone, dear?"

She smiles and thinks of her answer. "Sort of."

"Someone special?"

She doesn't answer for some time. The answer she formulates in her mind is not the one she should be announcing to the world. It doesn't seem right to air her dirty laundry to a woman who she not only doesn't know, but works for her ex. She opens her mouth to give her usual vague answer. But the woman beats her to it.

"_I bet you've had a hard time walking into a room full of people on your own, right? I know what it is not to feel like you're in the room until he looks at you or touches your hand or even makes a joke at your expense, just to let everyone know…You're with him. You're his_," the woman says, taking a compact out of her bag to fix her makeup.

"Oh, no the man I'm waiting for isn't my-"

The old woman interrupts her. "Doesn't matter if he's your husband, boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancé or just a friend. You love him. And I know the feelings are mutual." She makes a swift exit and the only other occupant of the restroom is left staring after her.

She's not sure how much gossip Hacker's secretary is in on around the Hoover or if the woman is just blabbering, but she shakes off the weird feeling she gets every time she thinks of him and leaves to go back to the ball. The plush carpeting underneath her heels make her feel as if she's going to lose her balance. Though, she rationalizes, it could be her knees. They've been shaking out of anxiety since she arrived. She enters the ballroom again and stops in her tracks as she sees him near the dance floor talking to a few of the higher ups. A hand gently touches her forearm and she looks down at the woman who had been talking to her moments before.

"He's here. Go to him."

She smiles softly at the woman but hesitates to move toward him. Shaking off whatever nerves or jitters off that she may have, she walks confidently to him. She suddenly resolves to tell him about her feelings tonight. There may not be a better time, when she knows Hannah is gone, not around to interrupt.

She looks at him and sees blonde. A blonde woman she soon knows is Hannah. He puts the hand on the small of her back to guide her away from his bosses. They say one last thing and the couple turn back, share a laugh and a kiss and then head for the bar.

She changes her course for Cam who is now seated by the dance floor. She tells her boss she can't stay, giving an excuse that doesn't quite make sense, but bolts for the door anyway, not waiting for a response.

Hacker approaches Sally and asks, "Have you seen Temperance tonight?"

"I spoke to her in the bathroom. She looks lovely tonight."

"She does. I was just wondering…Do you think now that Agent Booth is taken and pretty much out of the picture that I would have a better chance with her?"

"Not possible, Sir. Her heart belongs to someone else."


	16. Definitely, Maybe

**A/N: The movie, Definitely, Maybe, was written and directed by Adam Brooks**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

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"Bones! Bones, I've missed you!"

Parker Booth comes running though the lab at breakneck speed and launches himself at her. She hugs him and tells the boy how much she missed him as well. She listens to his ramblings about school, girls, and hockey. She excuses herself from her coworkers and leads Parker to her office. He's chattering away and nods as she pays attention to his words. They sit on the couch in her office as she goes over paperwork and he works on his math homework. He tells her about what he's been learning in class and she tells Parker of some of the 'cooler' cases she's been working on. She leaves out the gruesome details, just like his dad would prefer. He thinks they're cool anyway and wants to know as much as he possibly can. They chat for a while. The after school program let out early and now all he has to do is wait for his dad to quit work for the day. Parker comments on Hannah, saying Hannah's nice and all, but that the two can't compare. She smiles softly and says Hannah is a nice woman. The boy agrees slightly, but makes the comment that he wishes his dad wouldn't have broken up with her. She divulges to him that she and his father were never a couple, just partners and really good friends. Parker shrugs and goes back to homework.

She watches him for a few minutes and wonders what actually goes through his growing little brain. What signals did she and his father give off to tell him they were romantically involved? Was it the pool? Or maybe the late nights spent awake eating Chinese food? What about the hockey games and soccer matches of Parker's they've attended together over the years? Did all of that tell Parker the wrong things about her and his dad?

Her thoughts are interrupted by his arrival. Parker jumps off the couch and flings himself into his father's arms in greeting. He asks what Parker learned at school and at the afterschool program and Parker lists off numerous things. He knows there will come a time when his son will simply reply with 'nothing' to that very same question, but he savors this moment. He's proud of the boy he's raised and can't believe how smart he is.

"Dad, did you hear what I just said?"

He smiles and shakes his head. "Sorry, Parks. Say that again."

"Mr. Keenan said he was going to help me with my history project and make sure I get an A!"

"That's awfully nice of him," he says, giving a small smile to Parker and then to his partner. She returns it and turns her attention back to the rambling fourth grader.

"_I love penguins,_" Parker says, most likely as an afterthought.

"_Me, too,_" she says. She doesn't know why penguins are part of the conversation now but realizes the thought process of a child his age can be unpredictable.

"_Me, three,_" he chimes in.

Parker gets excited, ready to share some of his knowledge with his father. _"Did you know that penguins mate for life? Although, Mr. Monell told us that sometimes the husband and wife penguins get separated because of their migraine patterns."_

"_Migratory,_" they both correct on instinct, she because she wants him to know as much as he possibly can, and he because he knows Parker would be upset if he said something wrong in the future.

The boy brushes off the mistake and says, "_Well, sometimes they're apart for years but they almost always find each other_."

He looks back and forth between his dad and his mentor and the partners share a quick look. There's a few seconds of silence between the three of them and she lets her eyes stay locked with his longer than normal. Neither look away until their interrupted once more.

"_Do you know what the husband and wife penguins do after they find each other after all that time?"_

She knows the answer, but shrugs anyway. He honestly doesn't know and shrugs, waiting for his son's answer.

"_Throw back their heads, flap their flippers and sing as loud as they can!_" He makes a sound that his father can only guess is what a penguin sounds like and he laughs. She finds his actions humorous and she laughs along with him. The partners laugh long after Parker stops his imitation. It's been a long time since she's smiled like this, laughed this hard and it's a welcome relief from the tough cases they've been handling lately. She can tell he's thinking the same thing.

But in this case, she's wrong. He sees her smile and he thinks back to their first case, that satisfied look that she had when she punched Judge Hasty. It's similar, but different, too. It's a happy he's never quite seen before. He thinks about the moment she saw her father walk free from the courthouse. But that was relief. He thinks about the moment he saved her from Agent Kenton. But maybe that was her being thankful to be alive. But in this moment, he thinks all of those moments combined are what make this one so great. He's thinking how wonderful it is to see her smile even after they've broken each other's hearts.


	17. Breakfast at Tiffany's

**A/N: The movie, Breakfast at Tiffany's, was written by Truman Capote and George Axelrod and directed by Blake Edwards**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

**Sorry I haven't updated lately. Life is the only excuse I can offer. This spring semester is going to be crazy for me. And I'm giving a heads up now…I'm not planning on taking my laptop with me on spring break. I need a break from school and that's mainly what my laptop reminds me of. So I most likely won't be updating the week of the 13****th**** unless for some reason I can write chapters quickly and just post them while I'm gone. Not sure that'll happen though.**

**In the movie, George Peppard (who plays Fred/Paul) says this line (Side note: Does anyone else think he slightly resembles Michael Weatherly [Tony] on NCIS?) but I think this screams Angela in this context. **

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Angela, despite being seven months pregnant and having been told by her doctor to take it easy, marches into the Medico-Legal lab and right to her friend's office. She spies her child's future godmother sitting at her computer, typing away. Without giving any warning, she storms over to the computer yanks a few cords and the screen goes black.

"Hey!" her friend cries, furious that all her work was just lost.

"Hey, yourself. Come on. Let's go. We're getting out of here, we're going to a bar, and you are going to talk to at least…" Angela stops, trying to think of an acceptable number, "…three, no, five guys tonight! You are going to have a good time and you're going to act like a normal human being for once."

"Angela, that was a case report that's due tomorrow morning and it hadn't been saved."

"Bren, I would think by now you would know to frequently save your work. And anyhow, I can reboot your computer and restore all of your files. But I'm not doing that until you come with me."

"You're supposed to be on bed rest."

"Not bed rest," Angela corrects, "Just plain ol' rest. And I'll be able to rest happily if you just come with me! Just tonight and then I'll let you get back to your work."

"Where are we going?" she asks as she watches Angela cross her office again to the coat rack to get her jacket and purse.

"I don't care as long as it's not here, has music the baby can dance to, and there are hot guys."

"Angela, I'm not really in the mood to go out. With this case and all…"

"Sweetie, I'm not taking no for an answer."

"Angela, you shouldn't even up walking around. Cam told you to take maternity leave early for a reason. You could be endangering the life of your child!"

"My baby is just fine! We're going out, Brennan. I don't care what you have going on, what case you're working, or what murderer you're trying to catch. You are going out with me."

"No! I'm staying. I am staying and working," she says forcefully as she moves around her desk to plug her computer back in. "I have several things to do that are of the utmost priority. I need to finish that report and work on remains from Limbo."

"Damn it, Brennan! I've had enough of you moping around here like you're the only single woman on this planet. If you need to get laid, then we'll fix that tonight. If you need to get wasted, then we'll fix that tonight. Look, I know seeing Booth and Hannah together all the time hurts. And I hate it. You know who I think he belongs with. But maybe that's not the case anymore. Maybe he's changed too much since coming home, but whatever your problem is, we're going to fix it. I don't care how. If drunk is what you want, I'll take care of you in the morning. I'll hold your hair back, bring you water and aspirin and get you back on your feet."

"Angela! Please! Just let me work!" she shouts, sitting back down at her desk.

Now, Angela can't take it anymore. Her blood feels like its boiling and the baby is kicking furiously at her aunt.

"_You know what's wrong with you, Miss Whoever-you-are?"_ Angela yells, not holding back,_ "You're chicken, you've got no guts. You're afraid to stick out your chin and say, 'Okay, life's a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other, because that's the only chance anybody's got for real happiness.' You call yourself a free spirit, a 'wild thing', and you're terrified somebody's gonna stick you in a cage. Well, _Sweetie_, you're already in that cage. You built it yourself. And it's not bounded in the west by Tulip, Texas, or in the east by Somali-land. It's wherever you go. Because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself."_

She's speechless. She's heard her friend explode like that only a few times before. She's not sure what to say. She wants to correct Angela's geographical errors, but she can tell that won't help the situation. Is Ange right, she wonders. Is she already in that cage? Does she really belong to someone? At this point, she's willing to do anything to make Angela happy, anything to keep her future niece or nephew safe and healthy for a few more months.

With a sigh, she yanks the cords back out from her computer. "Alright, let's go," she tells her friend with a smile.

Angela starts cheering, making plans and heading to the door.

She followed close behind. "Ange, you know the baby can't dance yet. Right?"


	18. The Break Up

**A/N: The movie, The Break Up, was written by Jeremy Garelick, Jay Lavender and Vince Vaughn and directed by Peyton Reed**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

**Got this one cranked out faster than I thought. I'll be without internet for a day or two, so without the distractions that Twitter, Facebook and ESPN pose, I may be able to get another chapter or two written :) Also, I had written this before the show last night and I had already picked out a name for A&H's baby. I've gone back and changed it, but if I've missed anything, and the old name is still there, it's my bad.**

**Enjoy!**

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Its two months after the baby is born and Angela has made a solemn vow to her best friend that Friday nights are their nights, girl nights. She tells Angela to not worry about her, that the baby is now the new mom's first priority, that baby Katherine is the most important thing now, not her social life. Angela explains that Jack has told her that she needs at least one night a week to go out, be a wild, free spirit. At first, Angela had protested, but when Katie started sleeping for longer periods and Jack got the whole father thing down, he insisted, saying he wants father/daughter bonding time, and Angela decided to use those nights for getting her best friend back on the dating horse.

Angela stalls while getting ready, however. She takes her time applying her makeup and changes her outfit a dozen times, all while constantly checking on Katie, making sure she has a clean diaper, isn't hungry and perfectly content. A half a dozen kisses later, she gets into her car to save her friend from the depths of Limbo.

She strolls into the Jeffersonian and wrangles her friend back to her apartment to get dressed for the night. There had been a struggle at first, a verbal boxing match over whether six hundred year old remains were more important than finding a mate. Angela ends up giving her ten minutes to finish whatever she's doing, and then tells her they're leaving and that she'll shut off the power to Modular Storage if she refuses to leave. Angela knows she doesn't actually have that power, but the threat works and no less than ten minutes later, the two are walking out the front door to the Jeffersonian, determined to have a good time.

She begs Angela not to take her to a bar or a nightclub. That scene has worn thin on her patience and she's tired of having men buy her drinks and try out lame pick up lines. Angela agrees and tells her she's had something planned for a while. They pull up to an art gallery near Dupont Circle. People are milling about, going in and out of the gallery as they please. Faint music drifts out the doors and Angela watches her friend observe the environment for a few moments before nodding her approval.

"I know this is one of your ploys to get me to meet a man, but I'm not really in the mood tonight. Can we just…look at the art and then go? I'm sure you want to get back to Katie and I'm quite tired."

Angela knew this would happen but decided not to fight it tonight. "Sure, Sweetie. Let's just have a good time, just the two of us."

Their pace is leisurely as they make their way around the gallery. Soon, her friend finds a piece of work that she just can't part with.

"This is gorgeous, Ange," she says, searching for a price tag, "I would very much like to talk to the artist. Wow, that is a lot of money…"

"Sweetie, you're rich. Plus, when's the last time you really splurged on yourself. If you love it, buy it. _You know, an art teacher of mine once said, 'Never buy a piece of art that you don't have to have.' Don't worry about who the artist is or how much it's worth. I mean, you have to live with it every day. You have to walk by it every day. You really have to love it, you really have to appreciate it. It's kind of like picking a mate."_

She laughs and rolls her eyes at that notion and Angela walks off to go find the artist. She knows he has to be around here somewhere, but his work seems to be really popular tonight, so she figures he's probably busy talking to several other rich, potential buyers. She ends her search after a few minutes, vowing to find him later when she spies her friend talking to a man by the same oil on canvas work she wants to buy. Angela takes this opportunity and tells her friend that she needs to make a quick call home to check on the baby. She steps outside, away from the small crowd. She's trying to keep Jack on the phone longer to get more information about what Katie has been doing, when she peeks through the gallery window to see her BFF talking animatedly with the man. He's tall, very tan and his hair had that blasé, sexy, just-got-out-of-bed look.

"Jack, I'm asking for a favor right now. Keep talking so I have an excuse to let Bren talk to Mr. Hunk in there." Over the phone, Jack lets out a loud sigh and provides a detailed play-by-play of their daughter's night all while Angela keeps an eye on her friend. She soon loses sight of them as they move from the canvas on the wall to a sculpture and when a wail comes through the phone that doesn't belong to Jack, she hangs up the phone and heads back inside. Not wanting to interrupt, she keeps her distance from the two, observing while not trying to seem creepy. She watches for about a half hour before the mystery man gives her a peck on the cheek and walks out the door. Alone.

"Um, Sweetie," Angela says, coming up behind her, "Who was that?"

"His name is James."

"Why did you let him walk out of here?" she cries.

"He had another appointment he needed to go to."

"Bren, it's ten o'clock. Who has appointments this late?" Angela asks skeptically.

Her shoulders bob once, indicating her cluelessness. Angela sees the word 'SOLD' written over the original price. "Did you get it?"

"I did," she says with a nod.

"That's great, Bren! I know exactly where you should hang it!"

The gallery eventually starts to empty and the two began making their way to the exit with one of the gallery curators to arrange the delivery of the painting.

"Ah, hello, again," a deep voice breaks through the air, causing both women to snap their heads up. Angela's eyes comb over the man appreciatively and when her friend stays silent, she nudges her gently with her elbow, prompting her to speak up.

"Oh, uh…hello, James. This is my friend, Angela. Ange, this is James Thompson. It was his show tonight."

"Oh! Well, it's nice to meet you, James. Your work is incredible."

James blushes slightly and looks back at her companion. "Yes, thank you. Temperance, I just wanted to say thanks again for signing that book. It'll really mean a lot to Patrick."

"While I don't understand the significance of my signature at the beginning of my book, I recognize it is a popular."

James smiles politely and gives her another kiss on the cheek. "I need to get going. Angela, it was nice to meet you, and Temperance, thanks again. Enjoy the painting."

"I will," she says, giving James a wide grin.

They watch him get into a waiting car and take off.

"Brennan! He was hot! And I didn't see a ring so you could've definitely gone for that! You can't sign books for available guys unless you put your number down too! Wait…did you?"

She laughs. "No, Ange. The book I signed wasn't for James, it was for Patrick."

"Who's Patrick?"

"His boyfriend."

"Oh. Sweetie, one of these days, I'm going to teach you how to find a good, available, straight man just for you. And you will. I just hope my daughter doesn't beat you to it..."


	19. Return to Me

**A/N: The movie, Return to Me, was written by Don Lake, Andrew Stern, Bonnie Hunt and Samantha Goodman and directed by Bonnie Hunt**

**Quick reminder, remember, even though Hannah is gone in the show, don't forget she is still very much a part of this story. I'm re-writing the story line a little here, since obviously baby Hodgela hasn't arrived in the series yet and Hannah is no longer. Just a friendly reminder that she **_**will**_** pop up here and there in this fic until **_**it **_**eventually happens :)**

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It's a summer Sunday afternoon. The sun is out and the temperature is tolerable for the first time this season. Angela breaks out the stroller and decides to take Katie for a walk through the park. It's nice out and when she stops at the coffee cart to buy a bottle of water, she sees the Jeffersonian in the distance. Asking Katie if she wants to visit her father, she points the stroller in that direction. She takes her time getting there, slowly walking and watching Katie snooze in the stroller. She knows the team is working a case and believes they'll be glad for the distraction. They arrive at the Jeffersonian and she finds Hodgins in the Ookie Room working on an experiment. She waves through the glass and points to her friend's office, indicating where she and Katie will be.

She slows the stroller as she approaches the office and sees her best friend sitting behind her desk. The paperwork seems to be mounting and no one can keep up.

"Hey, Sweetie, what's going on?"

She rubs her eyes in frustration and sits back in her chair. "My computer is on the schitz…"

Angela laughs and Katie squeals and coos at her aunt. "Bren, you mean on the fritz. Schitz is like…schizophrenic or something. I seriously doubt that is the problem with your computer."

She huffs at her mistake and jabs at her keyboard a few times. "Is there any way you can fix this? I am not good with technical issues."

"Sure." The two women switch places and Katie lets out a squeal when her godmother comes into view. She takes the baby from the stroller, hugging Katie close to her chest.

"Hey," Angela says, keeping her eyes on the computer, "How'd that date go the other night?"

She groans. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Why? Was it really that bad?"

She sighs and begins her tale, "I was supposed to meet Derek at that new sushi place downtown. But when I got there, he still wasn't there. I waited for him for an hour. I thought I had been jumped up-"

Angela cuts her off. "Uh, Bren, you mean _stood_ up, right? I take it you weren't mugged?"

"No! I left and then as soon as I got home, I got a call from him saying he had gotten held up in surgery and still wanted to see if I was available for dinner. The sushi place had already closed so I told him I'd meet him at Wong Fu's. I got there and he was leaving money on the bar. He had gotten called back into surgery. So we said hello and goodbye. That was it. He seemed very sympathetic and said he'd like to reschedule. But I'm not sure if this will work."

"Why not? You two are perfect! Sexy and totally devoted to your jobs…oh."

"We would never have time for each other! Ange, I don't know if seeing him would be such a good idea."

"Well, you both can make time," Angela says, trying to sound hopeful.

Katie makes a low gurgle sound and her aunt looks down and says, "I agree, Katie. I just don't think it's going to work."

Angela watches her friend and infant daughter converse as if they're the only two in the room. It amazes her to see how much her friend has grown. Just a few years ago, she had shocked her friends and colleagues by announcing her plans to have a baby. With her hunky, studly, available FBI partner, no less. Avalon had always said the two of them would make it together eventually but Angela's hope has been lessening the more Hannah is around. Angela refuses to give up, however. She knew everything about the baby months before anything happened. But the partners were harder to read, Avalon had said, though she always could find something in the cards. She wonders…

"Sweetie, have you…thought about having kids?"

She looks up, finally breaking her gaze with Katie. "I had originally had plans with Booth, but other circumstances prevented it," she says, as if her lunch plans had been changed.

"Yeah, Brennan, a tumor pretty much qualifies. But I mean like a family. You know, husband, the average number of children for an American family, and a dog or two? Don't you want that?"

"I'm not sure what I want anymore."

The computer screen flickers and powers down completely. "Oops," Angela comments and changes the topic, "I'm gonna have to call tech services. They can fix it faster than I can." She makes the call and then joins her daughter and friend on the couch. "They'll be a little while. Apparently, a lot of the computers in the Jeffersonian are having problems. But," Angela says, holding up a finger telling her to hold on, "I have something we can do while we wait that can help your situation and pass the time." She digs through Katie's diaper bag and pulls out a magazine.

She looks at the magazine in Angela's hand and a small sigh and eye roll escape. It's one that caters to women, telling them what clothes are in this season, what the sex position of the week is and advice on relationships. Angela, ignoring her friend's reaction flops down on the couch and pats the cushion next to her. She sits gently, careful not to jostle the baby in her arms. Angela flips to a dog-eared page and folds the cover back.

"Okay, I know you'll probably think this is stupid, but these are like the next best thing to Avalon," Angela starts reading the quiz to her friend, forcing her child's godmother to answer each question and in turn, her friend rolls her eyes and protests, but in the end, humors her.

"'_What do you expect most from a relationship? A: Companionship. B: Sex. C: Respect.' I'd have to go with 'B: Sex,' but let's mark 'C' so we can get a higher score," _Angela answers for her this time and it earns a small laugh from Katie.

"Oh, Katie-pie, just wait until your mother is doing this with you in a few years. You're laughing now, but just wait…" she says. Angela looks up at her friend. The nickname for Katherine had been a recent development. Angela had thought it was the most adorable thing in the world. Not only that, but it proves something to her: that the woman she's honored to call her best friend has the biggest, most open heart she has ever seen.


	20. What Women Want

**A/N: The movie, What Women Want was written by Josh Goldsmith, Cathy Yuspa and Diane Drake and directed by Nancy Meyers.**

**This one's super short, but I find I like this just the way it is :) Enjoy!**

* * *

"I agreed with your original assessment, Angela, about my personal life, but I do not like this," she says as she walks into the Royal Diner at lunch time. She joins Angela and Cam at the counter and they both look at her with concerned expressions.

"Sweetie, I told you it wouldn't be easy," Angela says.

"Dr. Brennan, dating is hell. I'm not sure why we do it, but it's natural. I hate it, too," her boss comments. The waitress drops a fresh cup of coffee in front of her regular customer and tells her that her order was sent back to the kitchen the moment she entered. She gives the waitress her thanks and rests her head on the counter, like she used to in grade school.

"So…that date last night?"

"It did not go as planned. At all. I am not sure how you pick the men you patch me up with-"

"Fix me up!" Angela, Cam and their waitress all correct at the same time. She looks up at the woman holding her food and the waitress, whose face has turned bright red, sets the food down and scurries away.

She sighs, picks at her food, and continues, "I'm not sure how you pick these men, but either you do not know them as well as you believe or…"

"Or what, Brennan?" Angela challenges.

She lets out one big huff and says, "I don't know, Ange! But how come this is so difficult? I am a genius. I have rarely found things challenging, and when I have, I find the solution quickly. But I find myself comparing the new men I meet to the men I have known in the past and dating become a very large puzzle that I am considering giving up."

"Well, that's a metaphor I've never heard before," Angela mumbles.

"I'm sure Angela would never set you up with someone that would make you uncomfortable or that you wouldn't get along with. Who are you comparing these men to, Dr. Brennan?" Cam says.

"No one," she says, trying to deflect the topic.

"Booth," Angela answers for her. She gives Angela the stink eye and turns back to her coffee.

"Ah," Cam realizes with a sly smile, "how do these men differ from him?"

Knowing she's been caught with her not-so-secret secret, she decides to divulge her feelings to Cam, thinking of her in this moment not as her boss, but as her friend. "They are all…how do you say..._you know the expression 'a man's man?' _That's what they are. They all just exude the cocky confidence that differs from him."

"Basically," Angela translates, "no one can live up to Studly's standard."

"No, that is not what I said!" she insists.

"But it is, Sweetie."

"When you say 'a man's man' do you mean _the leader of the pack, the kind of man other men look up to, admire and emulate, the kind of man who just doesn't get what women are about_?"

"That is exactly what I mean," she confirms, confident that Cam understood what she was saying.

"Well, that is exactly what Booth is," Cam says.

Her jaw drops. "But he knows exactly what women are about!"

"Sweetie, don't you think if Booth knew exactly what we are about, he'd be married by now?"

She considers Angela's comment and thinks maybe she just might be right.


	21. He's Just Not That Into You

**A/N: The movie, He's Just Not That Into You, was written by Abby Kohn, Marc Silverstein, Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo and directed by Ken Kwapis**

**Also short, but two updates isn't bad, right? :)**

**Enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

The three women had continued their regular lunch and dinner dates with each other, even the occasional night out here or there and even added Daisy to the mix, much to a certain someone's dismay. It's not that she hates the young intern, but if she has to hear about 'Lancelot' and the 'amazing' things he does in bed, she's going to commit the perfect murder.

It's a Friday night at the Founding Fathers but Katie has joined them. The bar is not overly packed and they find a small booth in the back where it's somewhat quiet, though Katie has a tendency to sleep through the racket other patrons are making.

"I'm quite tired of talking about me," she says, "Can we change the topic of conversation? Or at least talk about someone else's sexual exploitations?"

Angela laughs at her bluntness and says, "Don't look at me. Jack is not coming near me until I can get back into the gym."

"Angela, you look fine," Cam reassures.

"Yeah! You only gained forty five pounds during your pregnancy. It's not that much," Daisy insists. She becomes the recipient of Angela's furious glare, though she chooses to say nothing. The other two women distract themselves from the awkward situation by fiddling with a napkin or wrapping the blanket just a bit tighter around the baby.

"Well," Cam says, breaking the slightly awkward silence, "I've been seeing someone."

"What happened to Paul?" Angela asks.

"We're taking a break. I just don't know if that's going to work. I mean, that's all we both do: work. I know we've had this problem before, but now he'll go to work on nights off, which he rarely gets and I just feel like I don't see him as often as I should. We're both leaving this option open, but I'm not sure how upset either of us will be if someone else comes around."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Saroyan. I'm sure this must be hard for you," she says sympathetically.

Cam realizes how big of a step her star employee has made. The emotional aspect for any relationship has always been strained, she's noticed, so to see this side of the woman she is so fond of is a wake-up call. But she only gives a small smile in response.

"Anyway, I've been seeing this guy. Real nice, but he almost seems too good to be true."

"How so?" Angela asks conspiratorially.

"He just seems so busy all the time. I guess that's why I like him," she sighs, thinking of her issues with Paul, "But he says it's not work or family things, he's just busy. And he's very hard to get in touch with. For example, _I had this guy leave me a voicemail at work, so I called him at home, and then he emailed me to my BlackBerry, and so I texted his cell and now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It's exhausting._"

"Well, if he really wanted to talk to you, he would," Daisy says, "Is there a reason he's avoiding you?"

"He's not avoiding her," Angela argues, "He's busy. Right?"

"Daisy's right," Cam says, "If this guy really wants a date, he'd call. Dr. Brennan, I agree with your sentiment. Let's change the subject."

"Oh!" Daisy tries to butt in.

"So, you want to know what Katie did the other day?" Angela cuts of the intern, saving all of them from stories about Lancelot's sexual prowess and their dirty adventures in public places.


	22. Jerry Maguire

**A/N: The movie, Jerry Maguire, was written and directed by Cameron Crowe**

* * *

The three women, the particulate expert and a certain FBI liaison stand over a body, a few covered in aprons and face shields while a few step back away from the blood that escapes from the saw blade. Dr. Saroyan completes the Y-incision and not a moment later, the biohazard detection system sounds the alarm, promptly shutting the team into the autopsy room.

"No, no, no!" Jack launches himself toward the automatic doors, but they are sealed shut before he can reach them.

"Son of a bitch! I gotta go pick up Parker in an hour!"

"Katie's babysitter won't stay past seven," Angela states.

"Michelle's boyfriend is coming over tonight. They're going to be alone," Cam says, horrified.

"We need to get out of here," Jack announces.

"Thanks for that update, Bugman," he says drily, "We either are going to have to solve this crime from in here or…"

"What?" she asks.

He looks back at his partner. "I don't know. Let me think," he snaps.

She rolls her eyes at his harsh tone and decides that not speaking to him until he has gained a level head once more is for the best. They all know that since no one had become instantly sick, it may not be an immediate threat, but they also know that whatever it is may be contagious and they could be getting sick at this very moment. That notion looms over their heads as they wait for the hazmat team to arrive.

Every set of eyes snaps up to look to see who is pounding on the sealed glass doors. Dr. Sweets and Ms. Daisy Wick appear panicked and overly concerned.

"Dr. Brennan! What can I do to help?" the eager intern asks, her face still pressed to the door.

"I need you to determine what has us sealed in here. If we are at risk for a virus or disease of some sort, find a way to fix it!" she barks.

Everyone is shocked at the raw emotion she is showing, but Daisy bounces off to do her work.

"Agent Booth, anything you need me to do at the Hoover?" Sweets wants to know. The two converse for a while and eventually, all five are alone, but together.

* * *

"Man, am I glad to be out of the dating game." They had been talking for some time, hours though it seemed like days at this point. Hazmat had cleared them from any immediate danger and each had given a blood sample to test for any infection and were ordered to remain in the autopsy room, quarantined until further noticed. In what seemed like the perfect solution, Angela had called Michelle and had asked her to watch Katie, minus the boyfriend, until they could get home.

"Yeah, but you still have all the pressure of impressing her and keeping her happy," Jack says to the only other man in the room.

"Excuse me?" Angela interrupts.

"I, uh, you know what I mean, Babe!" Jack backtracks.

"I'm just plain sick of it," Cam says, breaking up the impending argument, "Apart from Paul, I've never found anyone who understands what I do, gets that my work is incredibly important, and loves Michelle."

"You'll find someone, Cam. You're just…looking in the wrong places," Angela says.

"_I've had three lovers in the past four years and they all ran a distant second to a good book and a warm bath_," Cam deadpans, "with the exception of Paul, of course."

"Sounds like someone still has the hots for the gyno," he comments.

She swats at her old friend for that comment and his laugh fills the room. Casting a look at her best friend, Angela catches her watching her partner, wishing and longing for something that seems so far away.


	23. Enchanted

**A/N: The movie, Enchanted, was written by Billy Kelly and directed by Kevin Lima**

**This quote is actually from a deleted scene from the film. Michaela Conlin's character says it too, so I thought it was fitting :)**

**Not sure of Cam's exact dating history, so I'm using what I know and making the rest up. And forgive me for all of bar/ drinking scenes, they're set ups for what's coming. I can say that Booth will have more of a presence in the next chapter, based on a couple of quotes from **_**Win A Date With Tad Hamilton!**_** (which was MaliBearsBuddy's idea, so thanks for that one, Soph :)).**

**Thanks to those who reminded me of who Margaret always quoted. Not sure why I thought it was Thomas Jefferson but a few of you reminded me that it's Ben Franklin, so thanks, guys :)**

**I found the Ben Franklin quote online, so if it's not quite right, not my fault!**

* * *

She's sitting at the bar in Founding Fathers. Alone. She's become quite used to it, in fact. She no longer has anyone to have post case drinks with. He's off with Hannah. Angela and Jack have Katie. Cam is always busy with some new boyfriend who she tends to describe as 'the flavor of the week'. Not that she understands what _that_ means. And she refuses to ask her interns or Dr. Sweets to drink with her. They would only annoy her.

She smiles at the bartender as he replenishes her drink but the smile disappears the moment she is alone again. The other patrons attempt to make small talk but she, as politely as she can, brushes them off. She's alone, but she's not lonely. She doesn't need for others to feel sorry for her because she's having a few drinks by herself.

Soon, she loses count of the drinks and the hours that have passed and the bar slowly empties and only a few people linger behind.

But the bell on the door clangs and a pair of high heels hit the tile floor, their sound echoing in the empty bar. The sounds stop as the new patron takes a seat next to her, but neither of them speaks or look at each other. The bartender sets the patron's usual drink in front of her and walks away.

"I thought you had a date tonight?"

"No. Well, yes, but it didn't work out."

She turns her head to look at Cam. "Are you okay?"

Cam smiles at her friend's thoughtfulness. "I am. Don't you have plans tonight?"

"No."

"So why are you here by yourself?"

"Post case celebration."

"Not much of a celebration by yourself."

She shrugs. "Everyone else was busy."

"Ah, yes. We were, weren't we?"

She nods at her boss' mildly rhetorical question and looks at her. She's always admired Cam for her expertise in pretty much everything. She'll admit she was annoyed by it at first, but she has learned to appreciate what Cam does for the team, even acknowledge the fact that they _need _her.

"Dr. Saroyan, may I ask you a personal question?"

"You're going to ask anyway, aren't you?"

"Most likely."

"Then yes, what is it?"

She thinks over her wording and dives in. "Would you consider yourself slutty?"

"Excuse me!"

She clears her throat and realizes that may not have been what she wanted to say. "My colloquialism may not be correct. I mean to say, is there a reason you see so many different men?"

Cam smiles, now understanding what her friend was trying to say. "Where did you learn that word?"

"From those documentaries about the Guido subculture and lifestyle."

Cam stifles a laugh and continues. "Well, I'm sure that's how Michelle sees me, but I like to think of it as more of a free-spirited lifestyle. I barely dated in college and then I had one long serious boyfriend and then I dated Michelle's father and then there was Seeley and then…I just never had fun, never had that time to be wild and crazy like college girls do...Oh, my god."

"What is it?"

"I'm a slut," Cam says with a laugh.

"You are not! You can have as much fun as you want," a new voice joins the duo. Angela sits next to her best friend and signals the bartender.

"I'm allowed to have one once in a while," she explains to the others' confused looks as a cocktail is placed in front of her.

"So," Cam steers the conversation back to the original topic, her hand resting on one hand and the other stirring the tiny black straw in her drink, "if I'm not a slut, what am I?"

"_I think," _Angela says after taking a big swig of her drink, _"you're a hopeless romantic who's discovered that romance is hopeless."_

"I'll drink to that one," Cam drops the straw back into the glass and lifts it to clank against her friends'.

"'The way to see by Faith is to shut the Eye of Reason.'"

"Um, let me be the first to say…huh?" Angela says.

"I don't know," Cam says. The bartender puts a fresh drink in front of her and she gulps down half of it instantly. "I'm too drunk to decipher that one."

"Benjamin Franklin! Margaret introduced me to his work and I must say, it makes sense to me."

"Well, that makes one of us," Cam giggles into her glass. Angela's laughter follows and soon, the trio are laughing about everything and nothing.

Friends part ways, promising to see each other the next day with promises of hangover remedies and hard work, and she goes home that night knowing that her Eye of Reason is slowly closing.


	24. Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!

**The movie, Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!, was written by Victor Levin and directed by Robert Luketic. **

**I'm baaaaaaaack! :) Sorry for the long hiatus. I took some time off to focus on the rest of school and finals and then my boyfriend surprised me with a weeklong visit before he went back to Michigan to see family for the summer. But now I have more time to write and tweet so hopefully, updates will be more regular. I hope you guys like this one! I may be slightly rusty with my FF writing since lately all my writing is from a purely academic standpoint :P**

**This one is for Mali Bear's Buddy. Thanks for this idea, Soph. I know it was a while ago that you suggested this movie to me but it worked out in the end :)**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

* * *

There's a knock at the door, and slowly, he gets up to answer it. He doesn't want to. He'd rather sit alone. Whenever Hannah's gone on assignment, the days seem long, longer than usual. Since he's been with her, the loneliness he experiences is horrible. He pulls the door open to see one of the last people he expected.

"Cam?"

"How ya doin', big guy?" She strolls into his apartment without so much as an invite and he notices her arms are full. He helps her, taking the pizza boxes and the cases of beer to the kitchen for her.

"I'm fine. What's all this for?"

She shrugs. "I heard you saying the other day how you hate how quiet it is when both Hannah_ and_ Parker are gone and I know you said Rebecca has Parker this weekend so I figured I'd come over here and keep you company."

She takes a seat on the couch and he brings two bottles, flipping off the caps with his thumbs as he walks over. Cam grins at the college-like move and accepts the beer. After a swig, she asks, "How are you really, Seeley?"

"Great," he fibs.

"Things with Hannah goin' okay?"

"Yep," he fibs again.

"I want the truth. That was not the truth."

He sighs, knowing he's been caught. "I'm just worried she's not happy here. I spend more time with Bones than with her sometimes and it seems…"

"Wrong," Cam fills in for him.

"Yeah, pretty much." He feels relieved not to have actually have said it himself, feeling like a horrible man for not wanting to hang out with his best friend anymore.

"It's not all that bad. You grew closer to Hannah and farther apart from Dr. Brennan during your time in Afghanistan. It's natural. Something like this was bound to happen."

He hears her words, knowing they were supposed to comfort him, though, they had the opposite effect.

"Your love life really going that bad?" she speaks up when he stays quiet.

"No! It's not bad!" he protests, "Just…"

"Not how you thought it'd be," Cam finishes for him, taking another swig of beer.

He gets up and snatches one of the pizza boxes from the counter. "You know Bones just…she just was it. I thought maybe I could change her mind."

Cam says nothing as she watches him sit back down and dig into the pizza before she says, _"Well, is it love, big love, or great love?"_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_Well, love you get over in two months, big love you get over in two years, and great love…well, great love changes your life. So which is it?"_

She waits for him to swallow his massive bite of pizza to answer. But he keeps eating to avoid spilling his guts to her and that's when she realizes…

"_Oh, my god. It's great love."_

"No…" he tries to stop her oncoming rant.

"No! No, you are in love with Dr. Brennan!"

"You knew that," he reasons.

"I only had a guess. I didn't know you were serious about. I mean, I thought it was just a little crush! You're really in love with her."

"Thank you, Cam, for making me feel so much better about being with a woman when I'm in love with someone else completely."

Cam flinches, knowing that it isn't easy for a guy like him. "I'm sorry. I should go."

Despite his protests, she pats him on the shoulder once and slams the door behind her, leaving him alone once again.

* * *

It's not hard to find her star employee. Everyone knows that most late nights, she's working in Limbo, helping the lost souls find their way home. Her heels echo on the metal stairs as she makes her way to the depths of Modular Storage.

"Dr. Brennan!" she calls. There's no answer. Picking a random aisle of bone boxes, Cam begins her search and calls for the anthropologist once more.

"Aisle four, section sixteen, storage number 2657," is the response. It takes Cam a few moments, but she finds who she's looking for at the top of a ladder, analyzing a clavicle. "Is there something you need, Dr. Saroyan?"

"I know I said I wouldn't bring it up again, but that conversation we had earlier…"

"I do not want to talk about it anymore. Please," she requests, her voice shaking.

"Seeley never meant to hurt you. I know having Hannah around has been difficult. And I know you're dealing with it in your own way, but you have to know, even if Booth won't tell you himself, that he never meant to hurt you."

The silence is long between them and Cam can see the tears welling up in her eyes.

"_When great love is rejected_, Dr. Brennan, _something inside a man dies. So all he can do is run away, where he can meet the girl he'll love second most." _

She looks up at Cam, a ghost of a smile barely there.

"Goodnight, Dr. Brennan."


	25. Rear Window

**The movie, Rear Window, was written by Cornell Woolrich and John Michael Hayes and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock.**

**These next few are going to be super short, but once they're out of the way, that's when the story really starts picking up. We'll see a bit of Hannah and VNM and hopefully, my muse will get back on track as well and I can finish this story before the summer ends!**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

* * *

Angela and an unrecognizable man are standing in the entry way of the bone exam room. She's examining a set of remains and pretends not to see them.

"Sweetie, this is Gustavo."

"Mmhmm."

"It's nice to meet you, Temperance. Angela's told me a lot about you."

"That's nice."

"Brennan!" Angela leaves the man's side and snatches the femur from her hands. She looks up to protest but stops short when she sees the look on Angela's face. "You promised me that we would go out tonight on a double date! Wendell's watching Katie and I'm all dressed up, ready to go out. Now, Gustavo is a good guy. He's sexy, smart, drives one hell of a car, and has the sexiest Italian accent. Please, Bren, I'd really like to spend the night with my husband and my best friend."

She peeks around her friend to look at the man in the doorway.

"He looks like a great guy, Angela. I'm sure you three will have a great time tonight."

"Bren!"

She looks up and stands tall. "Ange, I don't want to go out with anyone. I don't want to double date or meet new guys. I just want to focus on my work right now. If you want, I can explain to you later. But I'm sure you have reservations somewhere nice so I suggest you just go out and have a great night. I'll see you on Monday." She picks the femur back up and begins to examine it again.

Angela lets out one big huff and gives her friend a challenging glare. When she realizes her friend isn't going to react to her look, she swiftly turns around and walks back to the man in the doorway.

"She is really invested in her work."

"Yes," Angela says with a hint of frustration, "yes, she is."

"She is very intelligent, no?"

Angela turns back to look once more at her friend. As she escorts Gustavo out of the room, the anthropologist can hear Angela make one last comment.

"_Intelligence. Nothing has caused the human race so much trouble as intelligence."_


	26. Eat Pray Love

**The movie, Eat Pray Love, was written by Elizabeth Gilbert, Jennifer Salt, and Ryan Murphy and directed by Ryan Murphy**

**I have never had a tarot card reading done or even seen one, so this little scene is all made up and hopefully similar to what we've seen with Avalon on the show. I just did some Google-ing. I hope it makes sense and works for you.**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

* * *

"Ange, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Sweetie, Avalon has been asking about you. Every time I go to her, she doesn't read my cards or Katie's cards anymore; it's just about you. Something's going on, I think. And I really just want to know if Katie's gonna be an artist or a bug genius."

She rolls her eyes and follows Angela into the roomy apartment.

"Avalon?" Angela calls out, searching for the psychic.

"Back here! Hello, Temperance!" she yells, still unseen.

Angela leads the way though the apartment to a back room where Avalon sits waiting with her deck of tarot cards.

"Temperance, so nice to see you!" Avalon says. They sit down at the table and she waits for someone to speak first. She and Avalon seem to have a stare-off until Angela breaks the silence.

"Avalon, I brought Brennan like you asked. Can you read her cards? I also have a few questions about Katie."

Slowly, Avalon tears her eyes away and looks at Angela for a few moments. Then, she turns her focus back and tells her to cut the deck. Angela nudges her and she reaches out for the cards. After a few minutes of shuffling, Avalon flips the top three cards.

The lovers, the fool, and the strength cards lie face up on the table and Avalon makes a sound, thinking over the reading.

"The man with a lion heart…he loves you just like you love him, but he's with someone else."

"Hannah," Angela groaned.

She ignored Angela and looked back at Avalon. "He loves her," she tries to say in a convincing tone.

"Maybe, but his heart truly lies with you."

"Avalon's right, Bren. Everyone knows Booth is really in love with you," Angela chimes in.

"_To lose balance sometimes for love is part of living a balanced life."_

"I don't understand."

"Sometimes you have to stray from the right path to find your way home," Avalon tries to explain. She's still confused and looks to her friend for help.

"Sweetie, it won't be long before Booth realizes that he's made a mistake."


	27. Something's Gotta Give

**The movie, Something's Gotta Give, was written and directed by Nancy Meyers**

* * *

The bell on the door jingles and out of habit, she looks up to see who had entered.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

"Tempe, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Dad. Why are you here?"

"I had heard some things and I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Heard things from who?"

"That doesn't matter." Max sits down across from her and takes a sip of her coffee. "How are you?"

"I'm good. How…how are you?"

"I'm fine. You know bouncing here and there. I just got back from Panama."

"What were you doing down there?" Her tone is skeptical and he wonders what she's thinking.

A waitress comes and brings Max his own cup of coffee and leaves them alone once again.

"Honey, I took a vacation. I wasn't running away from the law or anything. I have a…lady friend who owns a vacation house down there and we took a trip. That's all."

She nods once and says, "So are you going to get to the point? Why are you here?"

Max adds some sugar to his coffee, stirs it, sips, and finally answers. "How are you holding up? With this other woman around…I know it can't be easy…"

She's confused, but it only takes a second to realize what her father is talking about. "You mean Hannah?"

"Is that her name? Well, anyway, I just wanted to see how you were dealing with it or if you needed anything."

"Dad, I'm fine. How did you even hear about this?"

"I've got an old buddy of mine that knows Booth's brother. He told me about her."

"Are you lying to me?" she asks, trying to read him.

"_I have never lied to you. I have always told you some version of the truth."_

She rolls her eyes and glares at him. "_The truth doesn't have versions_, Dad. It's either the truth or a lie."

"Why don't we just keep it at that, huh? I don't want to be getting you in any trouble," Max tells her.

"Dad! Are you doing something illegal?"

Max gives her a sly smile and changes the subject back to her. "Tempe, I'm fine. I just want to know how you are."

She sighs and takes a moment to figure out exactly what to tell her father. "I'm doing well, Dad. I'm taking things the only way I know how, just one step at a time."


	28. Notting Hill

**The movie, Notting Hill, was written by Richard Curtis and directed by Roger Michell**

**Okay, so the next chapter should really kick things into gear. Also, since I had planned this story out before The Hole in the Heart occurred so VNM will be in this chapter. I planned this one for him because the line I used in here is said by Hugh Grant and it might just be the accent, but I thought it might be something Vincent might say. I hope you all enjoy this!**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

* * *

"Mr. Nigel-Murray, please escort the set of remains to Limbo and then meet me in the exam room to look at the next set."

"Yes, Dr. Brennan, right away."

The young intern eagerly packs up the remains and heads off to storage. She steps off the platform, bringing a tray of bones with her. She takes them to the exam room and begins her work.

After some time, she finds small fractures that her intern had missed. Anxious to point them out to him, she waits for him to return. Realizing it's been closer to 45 minutes without seeing Vincent, she storms out of the room looking for him.

She stops by the Ookie Room first, hoping to find him there, but instead finds Dr. Hodgins.

"Hodgins, where is Mr. Nigel-Murray?"

Jack looks up through his goggles and back down at his experiment. "I haven't seen him, Dr. B. Maybe Cam put him to work or something."

"I can assure you I did not," the pathologist announced, joining them in the room, "Are you looking for him, Dr. Brennan."

"Yes. I found some fractures that Mr. Nigel-Murray missed and I'd like for him to take a look at them."

"Oh, my…you guys!" Angela comes rushing in. "Vincent is practically crying out by the door. Something's wrong!"

They all run out towards the lab's front doors and find Vincent yelling into his phone. "Sarah! Come on, Sarah, listen to me please! Don't do this baby, I love you! Sarah? Sarah?"

He listens to the phone disconnect itself and the pulls it away from his ear to stare at it for a while before sliding it back into his pocket.

Hodgins speaks first. "Vincent, are you okay?"

"I'm…I'm fine."

"Mr. Nigel-Murray, what's wrong?"

He looks up at his mentor and takes a deep breath. "Sarah. She left me."

"Oh, Vincent," Angela says, her heart breaking for him.

"_It's as if I've taken love heroin, and now I can't ever have it again. _You know that feeling, Dr. Brennan? You know what I'm talking about. It hurts so much!"

Angela runs to his side and wraps her arms around him in a hug. She and Jack take him to her office to calm her down. Leaving the anthropologist and Cam in the entryway.

Her breaths become shaky and Cam notices.

"Dr. Brennan, are you alright?"

"I know that feeling, Dr. Saroyan. I know exactly what he's talking about."


	29. The Wedding Planner

**The movie, The Wedding Planner, was written by Pamela Falk and Michael Ellis and directed by Adam Shankman. Part of this quote was changed to fit the scene, so the parts changed are in normal font while the real quote is in italics, just like in past chapters.**

**Twitter: gocubsgo1717**

**I apologize for my insanely long absence. I've been taking a summer class and since my GPA is lower than I want it to be, I've put my entire focus into that. Anyway, I just took my midterm exam and now that I have a homework-free weekend, I thought I'd crank this out. I've missed this story.**

**I've been getting questions lately about **_**Lifeline**_** and I've decided that story's on hold until this one gets finished, and who knows when that will be. I'm not abandoning it but I don't remember where I was going with that story and I've lost my outline for it. So until I can figure out where I'm going to take that fic, it's on hiatus. Sorry :/**

**One more note: I haven't seen the proposal scene since it aired so this pretty much my own scene. Obviously, I know what happened and such, but details are fuzzy. So this is my own. If anything is similar, it's pure coincidence.**

**But I hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know what you think!**

* * *

"Why are we here, Seeley?" Hannah asks, her smile covering her face.

He avoids the question and says, "You'll see."

They stop at the edge of the water and look out over it. Strangers mill about, unaware of the scene they were about to witness.

In her mind, she knows what's going to happen. She can see it in his eyes, sensing his nervousness and anticipation. She doesn't want to believe it's going to happen, she doesn't want to give him the answer he's not looking for. But she can't think up an excuse to leave right now. She can't fake a call from her boss or her mother, escaping the situation she never wanted to be in in the first place. As he asks, she thinks of a way to let him down easy but there's no way out, no way to say no and keep things the same. So she answers and she can see his heart breaking.

"I'm sorry, Seeley."

"Look, _I barely know you. I don't know your dad's first name. I don't know if you ever wore braces or contacts or glasses and I have no idea how you came to be a _journalist_,_ Hannah_. But I do know the curves of your face. And I know every fleck of gold in your eyes. I know that the night_ in the desert _was the best time I've ever had…_ _Please say something."_

"_I'm a magnet for unavailable men._ You don't want me. I'm not the one you want. There's someone to be with you as much as you want to be with them, and that's not me. I'm sorry."

She notices people watching them, waiting to applaud when she begins to cry, saying 'yes, of course I'll marry you'. She can't give the on-lookers the happy ending they want to see.

She walks away, leaving him to stand by himself and she can feel the tourists and locals alike, watching him with sadness and pity. She turns around to say something else, to try to work things out but she sees him fling the diamond ring in the water and she knows that's not going to be easy.

* * *

**Next movie inspiration: _Casablanca_**


	30. Casablanca

**The movie, **_**Casablanca**_**, was written by Julius Epstein, Philip Epstein, Howard Koch, Murray Burnett, and Joan Alison and was directed by Michael Curtiz**

**In this chapter, the line Booth says is actually spoken by Ilsa in the movie, but I thought it was more fitting for Booth to say.**

**Next movie inspiration: (my favorite movie) _Top Gun_**

**Yikes. I wrote this back in July and totally forgot to post. FML. I mentioned to RositaLG earlier on Twitter that I'm a bad FF writer for not updating. I haven't abandoned this fic or **_**Lifeline,**_** but life gets busy. You know how it is.**

* * *

She hears the door open and she knows she hasn't been quick enough. The front door clicks closed and she hears his footsteps throughout the apartment and then they stop. She knows he just realized she's still there.

Hannah walks out of the bedroom and sets her bags down by the front door. He's standing in the kitchen, drinking a root beer that Parker had left.

"Um I just need to grab a few more things and then I'll be out of your way," she says softly. He nods and sits at the small table, watching her grab the few knickknacks around the living room that had decorated their apartment for the past few months. She shoves them haphazardly in one of her bags and stands looking at her luggage, still in shock at what is happening, at their relationship falling apart.

She had told him back in Afghanistan that she was only looking for a good time. And he had said he was okay with that. She thought she had made the terms of their relationship clear. Sure, they could fool around, but a relationship was out of the question. Until she met the handsome man in uniform with a son and a job waiting for him back in the States. So she allowed herself to open up in a way she had never allowed herself to do before. And she fell in love. And when he left to come back home, so did she. It was something she had decided on a whim, very spontaneous and out of character for a nomad like her. She never thought it would get this far, never thought marriage would come to mind.

But it did. And that was not an option for her.

She stands in the door way. The now former lovers lock eyes, each waiting for the other to say something first.

"Where will you be staying?" he breaks the silence.

"I'm flying out to LA on assignment in a couple of hours. I'll be there for a few weeks and then I'm going back over to Kuwait to embed with another unit."

He nods. "I'm sure your boss is glad to have you back on the road. And I know you were getting restless staying in one spot for so long."

"Seeley…" She doesn't even protest his words. It's the truth. She's not fit to be tied down.

"_With the whole world crumbling, we pick this time to fall in love," _he says, letting a small ironic chuckle escape.

"_Yeah, it's pretty bad timing."_

He smiles softly at her, trying to keep in mind who she really is at heart. And being married is not her. So in his mind, he lets her go. But he's doesn't think with his mind; he thinks with his heart. He knows, deep within him, that this wasn't meant to be, that there was a reason Hannah denied him. And maybe it was to help him find his way back. Back to his life before Afghanistan, to the way they were before. Brain and Heart.


End file.
